Waterborne disease, malnutrition claim four more lives in Thar

SUKKUR: Four more children have died due to outbreak of the waterborne diseases and malnutrition in Thar hospitals taking the death toll to more than 290, according to the official during three months.

Three children died in Mithi Civil Hospital and one in RHC Diplo. Diya, 15 months, Reena, 1, and a newborn of Basheer Ahmed lost their lives while one-year-old Akash Lohar died in rural health center of Diplo town. The parents of the ailing children complained about lack of facilities and negligence of doctors and other medical staff in Diplo and Chhachhro towns.

DHO Dr Arjan Das told media persons that so far 139 kids have lost their lives since January 1 adding during the past 24 hours, 410 kids, mostly suffering from waterborne diseases and viral infections, were brought in six facilities of the district.

The PPP district president of Tharparkar district and MPA Dr Mahesh Kumar Malani said that situation was under control and claimed that the Sindh government was making all-out efforts to help mitigate sufferings of the people of Thar. He maintained that the government was focusing on big issues of the region including the healthcare facilities and safe drinking water through RO plants and pipelines from irrigation canals.

Dr Shaikh Tanweer Ahmed, the CEO of Health and Nutrition Development Society (HANDS) an organisation which has been working in the region for past years, in a statement expressed his deep concern and sorrow over the deaths of the children and feared more deaths if proper arrangements were not made ahead of terrible hot weather. He observed that special nutrition programs and schemes should be launched to help Thari women. He again requested the Sindh government to hand over all the health units of the district to his organisation to help control the situation in six months. Muhammad Irshad of Pak Oasis said that thousands of people were getting the safe potable water from over 450 RO plants and work on remaining plants was in progress.