• Over 216,000 children missed polio drops during September immunisation drive in Sindh, meeting told
• Murad says elected representatives, DCs and police will ‘forcibly’ vaccinate children whose parents refuse inoculation
KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah is likely to take stern action against the parents who refuse polio vaccination for their children.
The punitive measures include blocking of cell phone subscriber identification modules (SIMs) and suspending national identity cards and passports to restrict access to communication and travel facilities.
“I have no other options but to penalise those who shirk their national duty of eradicating polio, a responsibility that starts at home and affects the entire province and country,” he said while chairing a meeting here at CM House on Friday.
Health Minister Dr Azra Pechuho and Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) Coordinator Irshad Sodhar briefed the CM.
The meeting participants were informed that during the last month’s anti-polio campaign, 216,664 children missed the polio drops.
Out of these, 181,142 children were not at home while 35,522 children’s parents refused vaccination.
After listening to the briefing and the issue of refusal, the chief minister said that he was considering blocking mobile SIMs and suspending computerised national identity cards (CNICs) of those refusing polio drops.
He directed Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah to submit to him a plan to block mobile SIMs, CNICs and passports of individuals refusing polio drops to their children.
The CM directed to activation of the Refusal Conversion Committee (RCC) to address and eliminate refusal cases.
He said elected representatives, deputy commissioners, and SSP would visit such households to administer polio drops to children “forcibly”.
He also decided to set up a ‘Polio Vaccine Refusal Cell’ at CM House. The cell will be provided with union council-wise details of parents refusing to vaccinate their children so they can be addressed through social, political and administrative means.
The CM expressed regret over the continued reporting of polio cases, despite intensive efforts. He directed the health department and district administration to work seriously towards eradicating polio.
He warned that negligence in the polio campaign would not be tolerated.
“Any official not showing performance will no longer be part of his team. I have already removed some officers from the health department and administration,” he said and added that further negligence in polio eradication would lead to the removal of responsible officers.
“The purpose of today’s meeting is to launch the polio campaign at the Union Council level with renewed enthusiasm,” he said.
“In the past week, two more polio cases were reported, raising the province’s total to nine, which is quite painful,” the chief minister said.
Among the 29 polio cases reported nationwide, Sindh has nine, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has 18, while Punjab and Azad Jammu & Kashmir have one each police case.
“I do not want a routine presentation regarding polio eradication,” the chief minister said and demanded a comprehensive plan from the health department.
The new cases reported are two each from Thatta and Badin, while Mithi, Umerkot, Hyderabad, Qambar, and Larkana have one each. Most cases occurred because parents refused to give the polio drops to their kids, or children were not at home during vaccination campaign.
The Karachi and Malir cases are due to refusal, the chief minister was told.
Refusing polio vaccination is absolutely unacceptable, he emphasised. He questioned how parents could refuse polio drops and cause their children to become disabled.
“Such refusal harms not only their children, but also spreads the virus to other children,” he added.
Samples tested positive
Environmental samples for polio in Karachi have tested positive, the meeting was informed.
Currently, the polio virus is present in areas including Sohrab Goth, Machar Colony, Chakro Nalo, and Rashid Minhas in East Karachi. In West Karachi, virus presence is confirmed in Khamiso Goth, Orangi, and Muhammad Khan Colony in Keamari. In Malir, Bakhtawar Goth; in Korangi, Korangi Nala; in Central Karachi, Haji Merid Goth; and in South, Hijrat Colony and Manzoor Colony show the presence of polio virus.
Drive from 13th
The CM said that from October 13 the polio campaign must be conducted on a war footing and the entire administration must actively participate in the drive.
He appealed to the public to come forward so that their children and their neighbours’ children remain polio-free.
After receiving the briefing, the chief minister said that most of the new cases in rural areas had been reported from border areas of the districts. This time, he emphasised that the polio vaccination must also cover all nomadic families.
Hyderabad and Mirpurkhas Divisions house nomadic families migrating from one area to another, he added.
Minister Health Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab, IG Police Ghulam Nabi Memon, Commissioner of Karachi Hassan Naqvi, Secretary to CM Raheem Shaikh, Secretary School Education Zahid Abbasi, Secretary Local Govt Waseem Shamshad, Senior Member Board of Revenue Khalid Hyder Shah, Secretary Health Rehan Baloch, Additional IG Karachi Javed Odho, Coordinator EOC Irashad Sodhar, Director PPHI Javed Jagirani, DG Health Dr Waqar Mahmood, all deputy commissioners of Karachi and (on video link) all divisional commissioners, DIGs and their deputy commissioners as well as DHOs were present.
Published in Dawn, October 4th, 2025