Province launches final push against polio virus

Says previous governments fooled the masses with false promises

QUETTA: Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan on Monday kicked off a three-day anti-polio drive across the province by administrating polio drops to children below the age of five in Quetta.

According to an official handout, the CM has called upon every individual of the society to play their role in eradicating polio virus from Balochistan.

“The government of Balochistan has been making earnest efforts to eliminate polio virus from the province that has been paralyzing our children with lifetime disability,” Kamal said, adding without joint efforts the province cannot win the battle against polio.



The provincial government has launched the three-day campaign in 27 districts while in high-risk areas Quetta, Pishin, and Qilla Abdullah the campaign will run for five days.

Urging parents to cooperate with polio workers, the CM said without the support of parents the province can’t stamp out the polio virus. All parents should come forward and administer their children with polio drops, he added.

“Religious scholars, tribal elders and members of civil society should come forward to spread awareness among people regarding anti-polio drops,” Kamal said, urging media to portray positive image of polio campaigns.

The health department in Balochistan has set a target to administer more than 2.5 children with anti-polio drops. Moreover it has established 10,356 teams in the ongoing anti-polio drive.



Meanwhile talking to reporters, the CM said Balochistan has been facing myriad issues but the health sector remained most important for the provincial government.

He highlighted that emergency has already been imposed in health, education, and water sectors. In last two months various departments of Civil Hospital were provided all necessary facilities to ease public woes, he added.

“Though Civil Hospital has been providing health services to major population of Balochistan we have been taking measures to ease the burden on the hospital by functionalising hospitals in Quetta’s outskirts particularly Sheikh Zayed Hospital,” said Kamal.

Replying to a query regarding drought in Balochistan, the CM said unfortunately people have been propagating CPEC but Balochistan didn’t get major share in the multi-billion-dollar investment. He stressed that Gwadar Port and coal power plant are not imparting direct relief to the public.



“In the last five years we should have built water projects, infrastructure, educational projects, health schemes which were the true face of the corridor project”.

Kamal said: “We have picked up unapproved mass transit train projects at a cost of Rs100 billion which would provide transportation to citizens in the 27km jurisdiction”.

He also said Provincial Disaster Management Authority has started relief operations in drought-hit areas of Balochistan and asked federal government’s assistance in writing. “Campaign against illegal tube-wells and water connections is continuing,” he said.

On Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) session, he said the government has categorically told the federal government that they are not fond of visiting China just for fun, adding if centre wants to induct Balochistan in JCC then they have to take seriously the priorities.

“There is a question mark regarding 25 billion dollars’ investment in Pakistan in which Balochistan didn’t get public development schemes of two billion dollars,” Kamal said, adding that the previous governments in Balochistan fooled the masses by making false policies.

Vowing to clinch due share of public schemes for Balochistan, the CM said the issues have been discussed with the PM and he has assured that Balochistan would be provided its due share in all major development schemes.