KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, expressing displeasure over the detection of two more polio cases in the province, has placed the services of two District Health Officers, of Badin and Keamari, under suspension, issued disciplinary notices to the Deputy Commissioners of Badin and Thatta and removed Assistant Commissioners Matli and Mirpur Sakro.
“Polio is a debilitating disease, and its eradication is our national duty, which everyone must perform diligently. Negligence will not be tolerated,” he stated.
The CM made this statement while presiding over a meeting on polio eradication at the CM House here on Tuesday. The meeting was attended by Minister of Health Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, Secretary of Health Rehan Baloch, Coordinator EOC Irshad Sodhar, and other concerned officials.
The chief minister said that the new cases, one each from Hyderabad, Badin, and Thatta - all within the Hyderabad Division - highlight a critical reality.
The health minister added that despite achieving over 98 per cent coverage in recent vaccination drives, the virus continues to find and paralyse vulnerable children.
The chief minister was also informed that nine polio cases had been detected in the province, including three in Badin, two in Thatta, and one each in Hyderabad, Larkana, Kambar, and Umerkot.
The chief minister ordered the suspension of two District Health Officers, Dr Anjum Ali Soomro of Badin and Dr Wali Muhammad Rahimoon of Keamari, and issued disciplinary notices to the Deputy Commissioners of Badin and Keamari. He also removed Assistant Commissioners of Matli and Mirpur Sakro due to their poor performance in the polio eradication effort. Chief Secretary Asif
Hyder Shah approved these notifications.
“Our campaigns are reaching the majority, but polio eradication is about protecting every last child,” stated Murad Shah.
Minister of Health Dr Azra mentioned the virus was a ruthless opportunist exploiting the smallest gaps, and that the strategy was shifting to systematically find and protect missed children.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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