ISLAMABAD: Though the constitution guarantees the right to information and freedom of the press, the Ministry of National Health Services (NHS) has stopped the National Institute of Health (NIH) from disclosing any polio case to the media.

Health experts took the new move as a bid to hide the failure of the government to eradicate the crippling diseases. Last year, around 90 per cent polio cases of the world were recorded in Pakistan.

However, Secretary Health Ayub Sheikh said it was a routine decision, claiming that from now the Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) would announce the confirmed cases.

Also read: Another polio case confirmed

It may be mentioned that Article 19(A) of the Constitution says every citizen shall have the right to have access to information in all matters of public importance subject to regulation and reasonable restrictions imposed by law. Article 19 of the Constitution says every citizen shall have the right to freedom of speech and expression, “and there shall be freedom of the press, subject to any reasonable restrictions imposed by law in the interest of the glory of Islam or the integrity, security or defence of Pakistan or any part thereof, friendly relations with foreign States, public order, decency or morality, or in relation to contempt of court.”

Secretary Health Ayub Sheikh says from now onwards emergency operation centre will announce confirmed polio cases

Sources said the national health ministry had sent a letter, signed by the director general, Asad Fafiz, (copy available with Dawn) to the NIH, stating that the “competent authority had approved a new standard operating procedure (SOP) for notifying lab confirmed polio cases by the regional reference laboratory for polio viruses at the NIH which is responsible for receipt of samples of suspected polio cases and isolating the polioviruses through standard scientific processes accredited by the World Health Organisation (WHO).”

The letter also stated that the information about a confirmed case of poliomyelitis shall be sent at eocpakistan@gmail.com by the head of the laboratory.

The EOC coordinator will prepare an update on the cases on standard format and will inform the minister in-charge, the PM’s focal person on polio, provincial governments, WHO and Unicef about it.

The information will be updated on the websites and social networking platforms by an authorised official.

The letter added that the EOC coordinator or his authorised government officer will respond to media queries and transmit case update to them through a list of media contacts.

However, an official of the ministry, who was not authorised to speak to the media on record, said it was nothing but an attempt to hide the reported polio cases.

“Pakistan has failed to eradicate the polio virus and in year 2014 as many as 306 polio cases were reported,” he said.

“It seems now the government wants to manipulate the polio cases. Not only announcements will be delayed but also the government can hide the cases because they become a matter of embarrassment at the national and international level,” he said.

Secretary Ayub Sheikh told Dawn that in the past the ministry used to confirm polio cases but now the EOC had become the focal department for the cases.

“Cases will be immediately released after confirmation so the media and other departments should not worry about the delay in its confirmation,” he said.

Published in Dawn, February 10th, 2015

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