BAHAWALPUR
The health officials alleged attempt to sweep two “suspected polio cases” in Jhatta Bhatta Chak 1P of Tehsil Khanpur, under the carpet, has stirred up angry and concerns among the local populace who have feared that the attempt may cause outbreak of the crippling disease in the area.
According to details, four-year-old Khadija, daughter of Muhammad Shahid, a resident of Chak 1P near Khanpur, Rahim Yar Khan was diagnosed as having been affected by polio virus. Her parents took her to several doctors for medical check-up. Later, the Health Department took samples of Khadija’s blood for laboratory tests but did provide its report to her parents.
Similarly, another nine-year-old girl Fatima Ramzan, a resident of the same was also suspected to have been affected by polio virus and is living her life with disability but the Health Department and the District Administration have appeared oblivious to her plight. Both the health department and administration have failed to chalk out effective measures to check the rising number of polio cases in the area.
Annoyed and worried about the apathy of the health department and district administration, scores of locals staged a protest, saying that Neurosurgeon Dr Altaf Hussain of Rahim Yar Khan had diagnosed that four-year-old Khadija had been affected by polio virus but the Health Department officials were not providing reports of the lab tests of both the suspected polio patients.
They feared that the health department’s apathy might result in outbreak of the polio disease.
They informed that parents of both the polio victims had regularly been vaccinating their girls during anti-polio rounds.
Parents of Khadija and Fatima demanded the Punjab chief minister to order free medical treatment for their daughters, alleging that the Health Department local officials were attempting to sweep “the cases” under the carpet apparently to save their skin.
On the other hand, former Society for Human Rights District President Dr Shahid Hanif Chaudhry told the media that it had been confirmed that both of the girls Fatima and Khadeeja had been infected with polio virus, adding that the Health Department should take steps to avoid any more polio cases in the area rather hiding these cases.
When contacted, Rahim Yar Khan EDO Health Dr Makhdoom Basharat said that both the cases surfaced during period prior to his posting in the district. He claimed that according to his knowledge, both the girls were not infected with polio virus rather they were suffering from some “sort of mental disease.” He pointed out that “in some cases due to weakness in brain muscles disabilities occur that is why tests of four-year-old Khadija has not been conducted.” He said that as far as the case of nine-year-old Fatima Ramzan was concerned it was old that’s why he could comment on it.