BADIN, Sept 4: Sindh Health Minister, Ahsan Ahmad Khan, has said 14 out of the 35 polio cases in the country are reported in Sindh.

The minister, after paying visits to different villages during his one-day tour of Badin, was speaking at a press conference at the circuit house here on Tuesday

He said Pakistan was the sixth country in the world which was identified with 3,000 polio cases in 1980. The cases reduced to 1,080 in 1993.

He, however, said anti-polio campaigns were bearing results as the disease was now on the verge of eradication and expressed the hope it would be completely eliminated by the end of October.

The health minister said 338,900 children in Sindh were being administered polio drops during the ongoing campaign.

He disclosed Rs10 million were allocated for the purchase of anti-snake venom vaccines which would be made available within two months as the supply orders had been issued.

He said Rs15 million were set aside last year for the purchase of anti-rabies vaccines.

Khan informed Rs95 million had been allocated for the third phase of the tuberculosis control project.

Replying to a question, the minister for health said the Badin Civil Hospital would be upgraded soon and it would have 200 beds.

He said health units at Talhar and Tando Bago taluka headquarters would also be upgraded.

Earlier, the minister visited the Tando Bago Taluka Hospital and suspended two doctors, Mir Allahdad and Mir Ali Ahmad, who were absent from their duties.