SUKKUR, Nov 22: Federal Minister for Labour, Manpower and Overseas Pakistanis Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah has said that Bangladesh has been declared a polio-free country after launching 26 rounds of anti-polio drive but it is a matter of great concern that Pakistan, after launching 80 rounds, has not attained that status.

He was speaking at the inauguration ceremony of three-day polio eradication campaign with vitamin-A supplementation at Rotary Public School here on Saturday. The three day drive against polio is being launched from November 24 to 26 throughout the country, including Sukkur district.

Mr Shah said that it was the need of the hour that collective efforts be taken and a commitment made to eradicate the polio disease and make Pakistan a polio-free country. He said that 30 per cent of people were suffering from different diseases in the country and keeping this in view the government of Sindh had for the first time increased the budget in the health sector.

He said that our people have immense potential and commitment and if they make sincere efforts “we could reduce population growth, increase industrial production and also achieve all desired goals”.

Sindh health secretary Mohammad Hussain Syed informed the minister that Sindh government had appointed an additional force of 250 lady doctors, 170 specialists and other paramedical staff.

He said that in Ghulam Mohammad Mahar Medical College 70 professors in different fields have been posted in teaching faculty.

He directed the field teams to make sincere efforts and administer polio drops to the children during door- to-door polio campaign so that not a single child was left un-attended from polio vaccine. He advised print as well as electronic media to play its positive role and create awareness and social mobilisation among the people against this paralysing crippling disease.

WHO representative Hafeez-ur-Rehman gave a detailed briefing about the polio campaign being launched from November 24 in the district.

Briefing the minister EDO health said that vaccination target of 211,755 children would be achieved with the collaboration of 636 polio teams in the district during the campaign.

CONDOLENCE: The ruler of Dubai, Shaikh Nahiyan Bin Mubarak visited Khangarh in Ghotki district on Saturday to condole the death of sister of Ghotki District Nazim Ali Gohar Mahar.

She died on Friday after a protracted illness.

Former Sindh Chief minister Ali Mohammad Mahar, former state minister Ali Nawaz Mahar, Sukkur District Nazim Syed Nasir Hussain Shah and others were present on the occasion.