RAHIM YAR KHAN, Nov 28: Polio virus has been found in an eight-month old girl in Basti Bhattian village of Sadiqabad tehsil, 60km from here.

Rahim Yar Khan district had been polio free for the last seven years.

According to health officials, infant Sonia missed the vaccination. Initially, her family took her to Swaitra Chowk Basic Health Unit from where she was referred to polio surveillance team in-charge Dr Zaheer Sattar. She was admitted to Sadiqabad Tehsil Headquarters Hospital.

After Islamabad’s National Institute of Health diagnosed that Sonia had been suffering from acute flaccid paralysis, she was shifted to Shaikh Zayed Hospital in RY Khan.

District Health Officer Dr Ghulam Rabbani said Sonia missed the polio vaccination and added that show-cause notices had been issued to four health employees — union council vaccinator Murad, tehsil inspector (vaccination) Jahangir Khan, tehsil assistant superintendent (vaccination) Muhammad Farooq and district superintendent (vaccination) Faqeer Muhammad — for their negligence. He said Sonia was being treated at Shaikh Zayed Hospital and her condition was improving.

When this correspondent visited the hospital, doctors on duty were unaware of admission of any such child to the hospital. Medical Superintendent Dr Mushtaq Ahmed said no polio victim had been admitted to the hospital.