KHAIRPUR, Jan 27: Buildings of 100 Basic Health Units are ready but neither the staff nor the budget is available for them.

This was disclosed by the director general, health services, Sindh, Qadir Bux, here on Monday.

He revealed that two more polio cases were detected in Khairpur district during the recent anti-polio campaign.

Newly-identified polio patients were 18-month-old Farzana, daughter of Ghulam Akbar, resident of the Qaim Khan Gopang village, Jiskani union council, Kot Diji taluka; and Asad Ali, 4, son of Mohammad Murad, resident of the Qadir Bukhsh Siyal village, Sabir Rind UC, Mirwah taluka, he said.

The DG, health, said that newly-identified polo patients were under observations and their tests had been sent to Islamabad for expert opinion.

According to him, four polio cases were earlier detected in the district in 2002.

To a question, he said that about 98 polio cases were detected in the country, of which more than 50 per cent were in Sindh.

He said that the most affected area in Sindh was Mirpur Mathelo of Ghotki district, where show-cause notices had been issued against nine employees of the health department.

He said that the anti-polio campaign in Sindh would be completed in March.

About anti-snake venom and anti-rabies vaccines, he claimed that they were available in all government hospitals in Sindh, adding that if the staff of any government hospital refused to provide them to patients, action would be taken against responsible officials.

INQUIRY: The district coordination officer, Khairpur, has ordered an inquiry into the incident in which 30 huts had been reduced to ashes near the Sabzi Mandi on Jan 24.

The district officer, revenue, Baqaullah Unar, has been assigned to hold the inquiry.

GUTTED: At least three houses belonging to Mohammad Ismail Channa, Gul Sher, and Urs Channa were reduced to ashes when a fire broke out in the Bux Ali Aradin village on Saturday night.

The Taluka Nazim Nara, Imam Dino Leghari, has assured that financial aid would be provided to the victims.