KP reports another polio case

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Thursday reported another polio case, taking the total count of cases in the province to 14 and country to 20 this year.

The new polio case was reported from Bannu district, bordering North Waziristan, and has been notified by the National Institute of Health (NIH) Islamabad. UN had recently replaced its senior staff member, Dr Johar, in KP allegedly for his failure to overcome deficiencies and curtail the poliovirus.

According to officials of the Emergency Operation Centre Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, wild poliovirus has been isolated from stool sample of 18 months old boy, resident of Khan Town, Tazeri Chowk, UC Bizenkhel, Bannu.

The parents of the affected child said that the child received seven plus dozes of polio vaccine but didn’t receive any doze of essential immunisation. The vaccination rescued the child as although some residual weakness has been found in the affected child but he was able to walk without any support due to polio vaccination.

ECO coordinator Capt Kamran Afridi has appealed to parents/caregivers not to pay attention to propaganda and rumours and ensure administration of essential immunisation and polio vaccine during campaigns to protect their children from lifelong paralyses.