Another polio case reported from Punjab; provincial tally jumps to nine

LAHORE: Fresh case of polio was reported on Wednesday from Punjab province, raising the provincial tally of the crippling disease to nine this year, ARY NEWS reported.

According to details, the polio case has emerged from Rahim Yar Khan in a 21-month old girl child.

The crippling disease had affected both hands and legs of the girl, whose family had shifted to the Sadiqabad area of Rahim Yar Khan three months back.

The father of the victim works as a labourer. The fresh case has raised the national tally of polio to 72.

It is pertinent to mention here that owing to a rise in polio cases in the country, the federal government has decided to launch a four-day anti-polio campaign in the country from September 21 to 25.

According to sources in the federal health ministry, the campaign would be launched in all four provinces-Sindh, Balochistan, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP)- and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit Baltistan.

Read More: Three new polio cases emerge in Punjab; national tally jumps to 73

The sources in the health ministry said that there would be two catch-up days during the campaign aimed at vaccinating children left behind during the drive.

Overall 39.6 million children would be administered polio drops during the campaign, they said adding 270,000 polio workers will take part in the drive.

Strict adherence to the standard operating system (SOPs) would be ensured in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.