Dr Shahzad Baig confirms resigning as head of anti-polio programme

Islamabad: National Coordinator of Pakistan Polio Eradication Program Dr Shahzad Baig has announced his resignation due to “personal reasons”.
Dr. Baig, who is included in Time magazine’s list of 100 world leaders in the field of health, confirmed the reason for his resignation.
The development was confirmed by Dr Baig days after Islamabad decided to hire civil servants to lead the polio programme.
The resignation of the former national coordinator came after he was heavily criticized for the polio outbreak that left at least 153 environmental samples in 39 districts contaminated with the virus.
So far, three children have contracted polio in Pakistan.
A bureaucrat will head the National Polio Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) after concerns over the resurgence of polio in Pakistan over the past two years, a government official said this morning.
“Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has decided to replace the current national coordinator of the Emergency Response Center (EOC), Dr. Shahzad Baig, with a government official of BPS 21 or above who will lead the Polio Eradication Initiative after the resurgence of poliovirus. he said.
Meanwhile, the official said that Dr. Baig may be a technical advisor of the polio program, but the administrative decision will now be taken by government-appointed officials.
According to an official, the wild polio virus is spreading rapidly in Pakistan. In 2023, 126 environmental samples tested positive for poliovirus in 28 districts.
Noting that an announcement on the appointment of a new national coordinator is expected soon, the official said even partner organizations supporting Dr Baig have agreed to replace him with a civil servant.
“Actually, Dr. Shahzad Baig is not an employee of the Pakistani government who caused the coordination problem that disrupted the polio program. The provincial coordinator and other senior government officials complained about it, some even sent letters against the Prime Minister. Shehbaz Sharif, the next official admitted.