Authorities in Lower Dir have started a measles booster drive in Ghorah Banda, in Maskin union council, after measles claimed five young lives. Civil and health offices opened the drive to limit further spread in the highland settlement.
Orders after the village visit
Deputy Commissioner Basharat Ahmad called for urgent steps once he learned that five children had lost their lives to measles. Those steps cover booster immunisation and a primary clinic for the hard-to-reach area.
He went to the settlement recently with District Health Officer Dr Sher Khan Afridi and Additional Assistant Commissioner for Samarbagh, Saeedullah. They sat with community elders and with grieving relatives.
Residents said five youngsters died from measles over recent days and that other children were receiving care in hospitals. During the meeting, Dr Afridi stressed that children should receive shots on time for measles, polio and other early-life illnesses.
Clinic, camp and village appeals
Elders said Maskin union council — about 5,700 homes — has no middle or high school. They asked for a primary clinic, a tube well, roads cleared after landslides, a small play space for young people, and help for animal health, noting that livestock supports many families.
Responding to those appeals, the deputy commissioner instructed the district health officer to place a primary clinic at a workable site inside three days, stocked with needed drugs and personnel. He also required a medical camp on the spot — with specialists, support staff and medicines — and a measles vaccine booster push without delay.
Timeline: what has happened so far
- Recent days: Five children die of measles in Ghorah Banda; other children are taken to hospital.
- DC visit: Basharat Ahmad, Dr Afridi and Saeedullah meet elders and bereaved families in the village.
- Same period: Booster immunisation and a medical camp are ordered; a basic clinic is to open within three days.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Dir ke Ghorah Banda gaon mein khusra se paanch bachay mar chuke hain. Hakoomat ne wahan measles vaccine booster lagwana shuru kiya hai. Teen din mein basic health facility bhi kholne ka hukum diya gaya hai. Bachon ko waqt par vaccine dilwana zaroori hai.
