Balochistan

CM hopeful of winning war against polio

Kamal calls for joint efforts to eradicate the disease

Our Correspondent October 25, 2019

PHOTO: FILE

QUETTA: Balochistan Chief Minister Jamal Kamal said he was hopeful that poliovirus would be eradicated from the province.

“The provincial government is using all the resources at its disposal to make this possible,” he added.

“This crippling disease has been paralysing our children.”

The chief minister stressed the importance of public awareness campaigns about the importance of polio drops.

“Parents, clerics, teachers, all members of the civil society should come forward to thwart the negative propaganda against the polio vaccine.”

Expressing his concerns over the recent polio cases in Balochistan, Kamal said the virus could only be eliminated from the province with joint efforts. “To save our future generations, there is a need for unity and parents should have their children administered polio drops during all campaigns".

Kamal said the Balochistan government had allocated funds for anti-polio drives across the province.

Remembering Nasreen Bibi on World Polio Day

According to a report, the number of cases in Balochistan in which parents refused to have their children vaccinated has exceeded 20,000.

Rashid Razzaq, the coordinator of the Emergency Operations Centre Balochistan, said about 25,000 unconvinced parents were a major obstacle to polio eradication in the province.

Infrastructure

The chief minister visited the 44km two-way Nawa Killi-Baleli Bypass Highway to inspect its construction.

He said the government was earnestly working on the infrastructure to ensure the provision of a quality communication system in the province.

“Road expansion projects are underway in Quetta to ease traffic issues and new highways are creating job opportunities,” he added.

Kamal was accompanied by his adviser on excise Malik Naeem Bazai, parliamentary secretary Meer Sikandar Umrani, Dinesh Kumar, Mubeen Khilji and Planning and Development Additional Chief Secretary Abdul Rehman Buzdar.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 25^th, 2019.