DEATH TOLL IN THAR RISES TO 173
More than 95 children are under treatment in different hospitals
Dunya News Report (Jibran Dost)
THARPARKAR: Five more children have died last week after an outbreak of water borne and food shortage diseases hit Tharparkar, raising the death toll to 173 since the beginning of January.
At the same time, more than 95 children are under treatment in different hospitals and more than 20 children have died of malnutrition.
Lack of government response, lack of health care facilities and scarcity of water are amongst the major reasons for the deaths in Thar.
On the other hand, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah has constituted a two-member Judicial Commission headed by Justice retired Ghulam Sawar Korai to explore the situation in Thar.
“I have improved health services, upgraded basic health units, dispensaries and taluka hospitals by providing equipment and have doubled the budget for medicines,” Qaim Ali shah stated.
At the same time, Chairman Pakistan People Party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari last month, formed a committee consisting of Information Adviser Maula Bux Chandio and Food Minister Nasir Shah to look into the situation of Thar.
Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf Imran Khan while briefing the media expressed that the deaths of children in Tharparkar is a tragedy. Sindh government’s slackness in matter of deaths of malnourished children in Thar is shameful and unforgivable.
Earlier, Sindh Health Secretary General Saeed Ahmad Mangejo while visiting the Civil Hospital and other health units stated that the government had taken notice of the increasing death rates and was focused on providing medicines and other health facilities to the health units.
In addition, he also announced to double CHM budget from Rs 14 million to Rs 28 million rupees and also increase funds for other health units.
He also claimed that the situation in Tharparkar was under control and children were falling ill because of the consumption of polluted water from the wells.
Life is tough for people living in Tharparkar. Extreme heat in summer, scarcity of food, unsafe and saline drinking water and lack of access to basic health facilities have had an adverse effect on the life and wellbeing of communities.
In the period 2014-2015, many people have died due to the shortage of food. At the same time, relief packages announced by government were misappropriated because of the lack of planning.
“In 2014, Thar received only 100mm of rain, which is less than normal,” said Tharparkar Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Asif Jameel. “In 2015, the region has only received 5mm, and in this condition, if there is no rain during the coming monsoon season, the situation will worsen,” he added.
In 2012, according to Minister Sharjeel Memon, the chief minister declared the district a disaster area. Due to the below average rainfall in Thar in recent years, the 22,000 kilometer spread desert has been a consequence of major number of human and livestock losses. The increasing loss of human life has convinced the government to take actions to overcome the increasing damage to livestock and human life.
