Abdul Qadir Patel, the federal minister for national health services (NHS), lamented on Monday that certain individuals were attempting to imply that the notions of family planning and vaccination—against polio and COVID-19—are incompatible with religion.
He described it as “extremely harmful behavior” and asserted that religious academics from all sects supported the government’s position on population welfare.
He stated that all parties were collaborating to limit the population while speaking at a conference commemorating World Population Day.
He said that polio workers, who get around Rs1,000 per day to vaccinate children and save them from a lifetime of disability, were killed, and to date around 60 workers have laid down their lives in the line of duty.
Speaking from his own experiences, Mr. Patel stated that even though the Covid-19 vaccination was being given out without charge, many individuals were hesitant to receive it.
He claimed “In my neighborhood, a person refused to get immunized, and a doctor got in touch with me to try to persuade that person. I went to that gentleman, who was 73 years old and made an effort to persuade him to get immunized. But he was worried that he might not be able to have kids after having the vaccine.
Despite the fact that there is no evidence to support the assertions that the Covid-19 vaccine has a negative effect on reproductive health, these conspiracy theories are common on social media, and susceptible people are frequently duped by them.
Furthermore, he added that the health minister presented his line of reasoning, stating that the public should understand that the ministry’s goal was not to diminish the number of Muslims living in Pakistan but rather to enhance their education, quality of life, and health. It is a worrying scenario, and the general public needs to be made aware that Islam does not preclude them from promoting population welfare. People must be mentally prepared to accept that such actions are being taken in their best interests.
