Ombudsperson revives probe into kid deaths

Health dept faces scrutiny over alleged lapses in immunisation programme

MAILSI:

The Punjab Ombudsperson has taken strong notice of the alleged negligence of the Vehari Health Department and the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) in connection with the deaths of four children during a suspected measles outbreak last year, directing the Director General Health Services Punjab to complete disciplinary proceedings and make the findings of the official inquiry public.

The case relates to a suspected measles outbreak in July 2025 in Mouza Sandhal, near Mailsi, where four children, including four-year-old Farhan and six-month-old twin brothers Rehan and Muhammad Khan, reportedly died. The children belonged to the family of labourer Muhammad Imran.

Following media reports of the incident, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz ordered an immediate inquiry. The Director General Health Services subsequently constituted a three-member fact-finding committee, headed by EPI Director Dr Samra Khurram, which was tasked with submitting its report within 48 hours.

However, despite the passage of one year, the inquiry report has neither been made public nor has any action reportedly been taken against officials found responsible.

The matter was later brought before the Punjab Ombudsperson by local resident Irfan Mahmood, who alleged that although vaccines were available, they did not reach children in time due to poor supervision of field teams.

He also claimed vaccination coverage reports did not reflect the actual situation on the ground, while biometric verification and GPS-based monitoring systems remained non-functional for an extended period.

During the hearing, Punjab Ombudsperson Ayesha Hamid reportedly expressed serious dissatisfaction with the performance of the Health Department.

According to sources, even Dr Nauman, the EPI programme in-charge for Vehari district, was unaware of the recommendations made by the fact-finding committee established on the chief minister's instructions, prompting further concern from the Ombudsperson.

In her written order, the Ombudsperson observed that the report submitted by the District Health Authority, Vehari, failed to adequately reflect the gravity of the incident and indicated that the relevant authorities had neglected their administrative responsibilities.

The order stated that delays and a lack of seriousness in dealing with such sensitive public health matters were unacceptable.

The Ombudsperson directed the Director General Health Services Punjab to immediately complete proceedings in light of the fact-finding committee's recommendations, initiate disciplinary action against those responsible, and submit a progress report to the Ombudsperson's Secretariat within 30 days.

Meanwhile, local residents, including Muhammad Usman, Saddam Hussain and Bashir Ahmed, welcomed the Ombudsperson's intervention and demanded that the inquiry findings be made public, those responsible be held accountable, and the province's immunisation system be made more effective, transparent and accountable to prevent similar tragedies in the future.