Minister challenges report of 2 new polio cases

LAHORE:Challenging the reported polio cases in Chakwal and Mandi Bahauddin, the Punjab government has claimed to have taken serious measures to eradicate polio from the province.

In the past six months, a dedicated anti-polio drive has successfully reached every child under five years of age. These remarks were made by the Minister of Primary & Secondary Healthcare during a press conference. The minister presented visual evidence contradicting claims of polio infections, showing children who were alleged to be polio cases running and playing energetically. He noted that these cases seemed to be reported without proper due diligence. Additionally, he highlighted that Punjab is the only province where the percentage of underperforming Union Councils has significantly reduced from 6% to 2%.

Regarding the reports from Mandi Bahauddin, a special team of qualified and experienced pediatricians was dispatched after receiving a report concerning a child named Mahnoor. The team thoroughly examined her and confirmed that she was clinically normal, without any neurological defects, and not a case of poliomyelitis, the minister further said.