Murad warns parents refusing polio vaccination of blocking SIMs, suspending CNICs

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has warned that parents refusing polio vaccination for their children could face drastic penalties, including blocking of mobile phone SIMs, and suspension of their national identity cards and passports, for endangering not only their own children but also others by exposing them to the crippling disease.

“I have no other option but to penalise those who shirk their national duty of eradicating polio, a responsibility that begins at home and impacts the entire province and country,” he said while presiding over a meeting on polio eradication at the CM House on Friday.

He announced the establishment of the Polio Vaccine Refusal Cell at the CM House, which would receive union council-wise details of the parents refusing vaccination so they could be persuaded or compelled through social, political, and administrative means.

He also directed the health department to prepare a comprehensive plan and warned officials that negligence would not be tolerated. “Any officer not showing performance will no longer be part of my team. I have already removed some, and more will go if lapses continue,” he said.

The CM expressed sorrow over the fact that new polio cases continued to be reported despite extensive campaigns. Two fresh cases emerged last week, bringing Sindh’s tally to nine in the 29 cases reported nationwide so far this year.

Of these cases, 18 were reported from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and one each from Punjab and Azad Jammu & Kashmir. The cases of Sindh were reported from Thatta, Badin, Mithi, Umerkot, Hyderabad, Qambar-Shahdadkot, Larkana and Karachi. Most were linked to refusals or children being absent during campaigns.

The meeting was informed that environmental samples continued to show poliovirus presence in multiple areas of Karachi, including Sohrab Goth, Orangi, Machar Colony, Rashid Minhas Road, Hijrat Colony and Korangi.

“Refusal of polio drops is absolutely unacceptable. Such negligence cripples children for life and spreads the virus to others,” the CM said, directing strict action against refusal cases. He also instructed that nomadic families, particularly in Hyderabad and Mirpurkhas divisions, be covered during the October 13 campaign, which he said must be conducted with a ‘war-like approach’.

In the September campaign alone, 216,664 children missed the vaccine, including over 35,000 whose parents refused. The CM ordered the activation of the Refusal Conversion Committee (RCC) to immediately follow up on refusals after campaigns. He also directed Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah to prepare a plan for blocking mobile phone SIMs and suspending CNICs and passports of those repeatedly refusing vaccination of their children.

The meeting was attended by Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho, Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab, Inspector General of Police Ghulam Nabi Memon, divisional commissioners, deputy commissioners and senior health officers.