CM orders emergency measures to deal with measles outbreak in Tando Allahyar

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has directed the provincial health department to depute a medical officer to visit the measles-affected Chandroo Muhajir village of Tando Allahayar on a daily basis and implement emergency measures in the village and surrounding areas to contain the virus.

The CM issued these directives to Sindh Health Secretary Rehan Baloch who submitted him an initial report on the suspected measles-related deaths in the Tando Allahayar village on Sunday.

According to the report, a surveillance team visited the village where it investigated all four suspected cases and collected blood samples. The patients were referred to the Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences.

The health secretary stated that the Civil Hospital Tando Allahyar had on April 26, 2024, reported him four cases of suspected measles that were brought in from the Chandro Muhajri village in the Lal Faqri Behrani area of UC Dingano Bozdar.

A total of three child deaths were reported from the village as a result of measles. The deceased included five-year-old Adil, son of Asif; five-year-old Adnan, son of Asghar and eight-year-old Atif.

On April 26, 2024, a rapid response team, including a district health officer, district focal person of the Expanded Programme on Immunisation, paediatrician, medical officer, district superintendent of vaccination and area vaccinator, visited the area where four suspected measles cases were confirmed along with three more deaths.

The deceased included seven-year-old Iqra, daughter of Ashraf, a resident of Iqbal Colony in the Latifabad area of Hyderabad. The child died on April 25 at home. The parents said that two doses of measles vaccination had been administered to the child.

Another child who died of measles was Ashique, son of Ashraf, from the Latifabad area of Hyderabad. Two doses of measles vaccination had also been administered to the child as per the parents’ statement.

The third child who died of measles was identified as three-year-old Arman, son of Yameen, resident of Chandro Muhajir village in Tando Allahyar. He died on April 26 at home. According to his parents, he had been administered two doses of measles vaccination.

All the three children died at their homes and were not taken to any hospital. Later, on April 27, a six-year-old child, Adnan, son of Asghar, died of measles on his way from LUMHS to the Chandro Muhajir village.

The CM directed the health secretary to activate his vigilance teams and implement necessary preventive measures in the affected areas on an emergency basis. Shah also directed the health department to ascertain the reason for the measles outbreak.