Doctors' panel to study polio-affected girl

MUMBAI: The Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai on Friday constituted a panel of doctors to study the case of nine-year-old Nazil Shaikh, the first child to fall prey to polio in the city in nearly three years.

Civic body Commissioner Johnny Joseph constituted the panel of five doctors -- two neurologists and three paediatricians -- to be headed by senior paediatrician Dr Madhuri Kulkarni of Lokmanya Tilak Hospital and they would persuade the patient and her relatives to cooperate with them to study her case thoroughly, Dr Jairaj Thanekar, Chief Health Executive of MCGM said.

So far, Nizali, who is residing in a slum in Govandi, has not come forward for a check-up after her stool was tested by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) lab in Ahemedabad, Gujarat.

"We feel that the wild polio virus that was found in her stool could be incidental and we want our doctors to observe and study her and that is why the panel was set up," Thanekar said.

"We want to observe her for some time as she is already nine-year-old," he said adding the girl's family is a little apprehensive to come forward to the hospital for a check-up after the wide media coverage.

"All the expenditure for doing the tests including MRI and any treatment if necessary will be borne by the MCGM," the official said.

Polio in Nazil was detected on Monday during a routine surveillance programme and the victim was suspected to have contracted the wild virus from Azamgarh district in Uttar Pradesh where she went for a holiday.