Pakistan: Sindh CM suspends officials, orders action after new polio cases detected

Karachi [Pakistan], October 1 (ANI): Expressing displeasure over the detection of two new polio cases this month, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has suspended district health officers of Badin and Keamari and ordered disciplinary action against deputy commissioners of Badin and Thatta, Dawn reported.

According to Dawn, Shah also removed the assistant commissioners of Matli and Mirpur Sakro over poor performance. Chairing a meeting on polio eradication at the CM House on Tuesday, Shah said, "Polio is a debilitating disease, and its eradication is our national duty, which everyone must perform diligently. Negligence will not be tolerated."

The meeting was attended by Health Minister Azra Fazal Pechuho, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, Secretary to the CM Raheem Shaikh, Health Secretary Rehan Baloch, Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) Coordinator Irshad Sodhar and other senior officials. The CM noted that the fresh cases, all within the Hyderabad Division, highlighted "a critical reality."

The health minister pointed out that despite achieving over "98 per cent coverage" in recent vaccination drives, the virus continues to paralyse vulnerable children. Shah was briefed that nine polio cases had so far been reported in Sindh this year, including three in Badin, two in Thatta, and one each in Hyderabad, Larkana, Kambar and Umerkot.

In response, Shah ordered the suspension of Anjum Ali Soomro of Badin and Wali Muhammad Rahimoon of Keamari, while disciplinary notices were issued to the DCs of Badin and Thatta. The assistant commissioners of Matli and Mirpur Sakro were also removed. The chief secretary approved these decisions, Dawn reported.

"Our campaigns are reaching the majority, but polio eradication is about protecting every last child," Shah said. Azra added that the virus was "a ruthless opportunist exploiting the smallest gaps," stressing that the strategy was being shifted to systematically find and vaccinate missed children.

Shah directed the Sindh Health Department and the EOC to launch an aggressive new phase of the eradication drive. He noted that although Pakistan has seen a decline in cases compared to 2024, stubborn challenges persist, particularly after about 4,500 children were missed during the September campaign.

Dawn reported that 81 per cent of Sindh's environmental samples continue to test positive, with all 12 surveillance sites in Karachi confirming presence of the virus. Recent cases in Badin and Umerkot were linked to migrant and mobile populations, who are difficult to reach with static health services.

The CM instructed health authorities to prepare a comprehensive plan for the last quarter of 2025. "I want two large-scale campaigns to be planned for October and December, supported by a focused Fractional Inactivated Polio Vaccine campaign in Karachi and a combined Measles-Polio campaign in November," he said.

Shah also ordered mop-up operations with Oral Polio Vaccine, supplemented with Inactivated Polio Vaccine boosters, in affected areas. A major drive will also be launched to track and vaccinate children missed in the last campaign, Dawn reported.

He stressed the need for enhanced pre-campaign engagement of community leaders and doctors to reduce refusals. "The path to a polio-free Sindh is clear. We have the plan, the resources, and the commitment. Now, we are deploying senior teams to the highest-risk districts to ensure our efforts reach every home and every child. This final push requires the support of every community leader and parent to succeed," the CM said. (ANI)

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