4 of a family affected with polio

Lucknow, Aug 29 (IANS) Four members of a family in Uttar Pradesh's Barabanki district have been affected with polio even after they were administered with polio drops on time.

The family lives in Bhatgavan village in Haidergarh town, while the father Siddiqui died of cancer 10 years ago.

Sabin (18), Naseem (21), Khalil (20) and Riyaz (17) are in different stages of disability.

Their mother, Hasigul, said: "All my children were afflicted with polio after they became 10 years old. I took them to the primary health centre and then to some private doctors but their condition have shown no improvement. We had administered polio drops to all the children when they were younger."

All four have studied till primary school and only the eldest son has completed his matriculation. Haisgul fends for the family by working as a daily wage labourer and running a tiny general merchant shop which her children take care of.

A senior doctor in the health department, when informed of the case, said that the disability was probably due to a genetic factor. There is no polio case in Hasigul's maternal family.

"The symptoms are of polio but an advanced medical investigation is needed to ascertain the factors behind it," he said.

The family has not got any government assistance even though Hasigul has submitted several applications at the district headquarters.

The children have not even been given disability certificates and the family only has a ration card.

The district Divyang officer, Rajnish Kiran said that the disability certificate could be issued only after proper medical certificate. "The children can then get divyang pension," he said.