Daily Times

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has negated the impression that there was any expired vaccine during the anti-polio campaigns and assured that the children were being given fresh anti-polio drops.

He said this while talking to media just after launching a four-day anti-polio campaign by administering polio drops to children at Government Hospital Ibrahim Hyderi, a fishermen village located on the outskirt of the city. The chief minister was accompanied by Health Minister Dr Sikandar Mendhro and Shahnaz Wazir Ali.

During the drive, 8.3 million children of under five in the province, including 2.2 million in Karachi, will be administered polio drops.

This year 15 polio cases have been reported in the country, of them five are in Sindh, two belonged to Shikarpur while one each from Karachi and Jacobabad. However it was fresh case from Sujawal during ongoing month that stirred bubbles among the health officials.

Murad, while brushing aside the impression of using expired polio vaccines, reiterated to eradicate polio from the province.

“I am not a doctor but know very well that when a polio vaccine expires its color changes and for that lady health workers (LHWs) have been given necessary training , while assuring the parents that their children were being given fresh anti-polio drops.

Sindh CM, in observance of the World Polio Day, said that he has given ownership to the anti-polio drive with the commitment to eradicate this crippling disease from the province of Sindh.

“We are committed to control them in the first phase and eradicate it in the second phase by launching extensive campaigns and taking necessary measures,”

He also urged the parents to give polio drops to their children.

Replying to another question, the chief minister said that the Provincial Finance Commission (PFC) was being formed. “Yesterday evening (on Sunday) I have received a PFC file to approve it and I am personally working to constitute it so that necessary funds can be released to local bodies, however the provincial government has provided them enough funds” he said and added that the issue of local councils particularly the union councils and district councils have the issue of bank accounts. Once they opened their accounts the problem of transferring funds to them would be solved.

He also said that the chairmen of the educational boards would be appointed through search committees.

CM expressed his serious displeasure that heroin and narcotics was openly sold in Ibrahim Hyderi, Rerhi and Lath Basti. “I would not allow such of kind of illegal trade of narcotics, gutka, manpuri and such others and they have been banned,” he said and directed the SSP present there to take necessary action and stop the racket.

The chief minister said that 84 doctors were posted in the Ibrahim Hyderi hospital. “I would not tolerate if any doctor or para medic do not bother to turn up on duty,” he said and directed the elected representatives from the area to keep an eye on the presence of the doctors in the hospital.

During the visit, CM also visited the wards of the hospitals and the medical store.