Anti-polio drive kicks off in Qilla Abdullah

Two cases of polio have been confirmed from the district

QUETTA: Qilla Abdullah Deputy Commissioner Major (retd) Bashir Ahmed commenced seven-day anti-polio drive in the Pak-Afghan bordering town of Chaman.

The DC kicked off the drive-in District Headquarter Hospital Chaman by administering anti-polio drops to children.

Polio Emergency Operation Centre (EOC)’s provincial coordinator Rashid Razaq had announced a special anti-polio campaign last month in the province after the emergence of fresh cases.

Four cases of polio have been reported from Balochistan in the current year out of which two cases have been confirmed from Qilla Abdullah. Considering the alarming situation in the district, 140,000 children will be administered anti-polio drops.

“Provincial government is utilizing available resources to eradicate the virus from Balochistan because the paralysing disease is a risk for prospective generation,” said the DC.

A female polio worker was gunned down and another sustained injuries in April this year when armed assailants opened fire on a polio team in Chaman. Considering the security risk for polio workers, strict security arrangements have been made across the district.

Police, Frontier Corps, and Levies force have been deployed for the security of workers voluntarily participating in the campaign.

He urged parents and religious scholars to condemn hearsay against anti-polio drops.

District administration of Qilla Abdullah has established special counters across the district, including Friendship Gate on Pak-Afghan border, in order to extend the service of administering polio drops to children.

Polio virus has been eradicated across the world except for Pakistan and Afghanistan where it is still active and paralysing children.