Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma informed on Monday that the Meghalaya government would review the situation regarding a suspected polio case in the state before issuing an official statement and outlining a plan of action.
Sangma emphasized the seriousness of the matter, stating, “We are still examining the entire issue. It is, of course, a very serious situation, and we need to be very careful.”
The suspected case, which emerged in Meghalaya’s Garo Hills, involves a child from Tikrikilla in the West Garo Hills district. The child, who was showing symptoms of poliomyelitis, was diagnosed with the disease after being taken to Goalpara in Assam. However, it is yet to be ascertained if it a wild poliovirus or a circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus (cVDPV).
Sangma noted that the government is still determining the specifics of the case, “I will be taking a review on this in a couple of days and then I will be able to give you my respond to the entire situation and yes we have to be careful as we are determining many factors and we will see and come up with a proper statement as well as plan of action if we find that the specific information and intel is actually very serious as it has been made to be,” he added.
The potential return of polio to India, which was declared polio-free by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2014, raises significant concerns. The last case of wild poliovirus in India was reported in 2011, and the country has since been vigilant in maintaining its polio-free status. The suspected case in Meghalaya, if confirmed, would mark a serious public health issue, given that no wild poliovirus cases have been reported in the country since 2011.