DERA GHAZI KHAN, March 26: Polio virus still exists in Dera Ghazi Khan and Rajanpur districts, as at least seven cases of AFP (acute flaccid paralysis) have been found here recently.

According to details, the virus could not be eliminated from the district despite several campaigns launched by the World Health Organization since 1994.

The district health officer claimed that seven AFP cases had been detected here. Surveillance officer Dr Khalid said there were various causes of the acute flaccid paralyses. The stool samples of the patients had been sent to the National Laboratory in Islamabad to find out its actual cause, he added.

Dera Ghazi Khan district is divided into two parts - tribal and settle areas. It is quite strange that the AFP cases have been found in the settle areas, where there are comparatively better facilities.

The district government and the health department have failed to launch proper polio eradication campaigns. One such instance of this is the case of two-year-old Mehnaz, daughter of Ghulam Abbas of Dhorey Wali. Her parents complained that the vaccination teams didn’t come to their village, and their daughter was deprived of precautionary measures.

When this correspondent met the EDO (health), he said virus still existed in the Dera Ghazi Khan and Rajanpur districts. According to the official record, the patients in the district are Tahir, Amir, Haleema, Arif, Shaheen, Amir Shafiq and Shabana. However, the name of Mehnaz was not in the list for reasons best known to the authorities concerned.

When contacted, the EDO and the DHO expressed ignorance about the case.