Polio awareness walk in Oghi

MANSEHRA: Ulema, students, traders, lawyers and people from various walks of life on Friday held polio awareness walk in the Oghi tehsil, neighbouring a union council of Torghar district, where nine cases of polio were reported a few weeks ago.

“The participation of the people in the walk shows the resolve of our nation for a polio-free Pakistan,” Mohammad Shahjeen Vistro, the assistant commissioner, told the participants. Vistro said that as Mansehra district’s Oghi tehsil borders Torghar district, particularly with union council where nine cases had been reported, locals should be cautious about their children of five and below five years of age. “The record shows that all those children infected by the crippling poliovirus in Torghar didn’t take the vaccine because of their parents,” he said. Syed Latif, the head of Rotary Resource Centre, said one should ensure polio drops to children if they want entry into other countries. Maulana Matiur Rehman, a prayer leader, said that there was no bar on administering polio vaccines to children as per Islamic teachings. “If parents want to protect their children from the crippling disease, they should administer polio drops to them during each and every drive as this is not ‘haram’,” he added. Meanwhile, the AC lauded the Health Department for posting a lady doctor at Darband hospital following a series of protests by locals. He said all other vacant posts in the health facility would also be filled. Former councillor Abdul Zaman Tanoli said: “We have been protesting over the years and for the first time, AC honoured his commitment with people and ensured posting of doctors.”