Victims to get financial assistance: minister

Sindh Minister for Minorities Affairs, Social Welfare & Prisons Hari Ram Kishori Lal on Monday visited Civil Hospital Karachi’s burns ward and enquired after the health of two children, nine-year-old Ajay and 10-year-old Sanjay, who were injured in a fire incident in Tando Ghulam Ali.

Minorities Affairs Department secretary Tameezuddin Khero also accompanied the minister. The minister directed the burns ward administration to pay full attention to the treatment of the injured children, and added that no negligence in this regard would be tolerated.

On the occasion, Dr Atia Ahmed told the minister that on September 3, 11 persons who were injured in the fire incident in Tando Ghulam Ali, including 10 children and one 70-year-old woman, came for treatmen.

She added that six children and the woman succumbed to injuries while two children were under treatment. She further stated that nine-year-old Ajay was in a critical condition, whose 46 per cent of the body burnt in the incident.

On the occasion, the minister also met Muhammad Umer, the 10-year-old boy who lost his both arms at hospital after suffering burns when high-tension electric wires fell on him in Ahsanabad area. The minister enquired about his treatment.

Later, talking to media persons, Minister Hari Ram Kishori Lal said that the Sindh government would make every possible effort to provide financial assistance to the fire victims of Tando Ghulam Ali.

He said that the chief minister would be requested to announce a special package for the victims’ families. He said that a minority community’s carnival was going to celebrate the religious festival of Thadri when suddenly the unfortunate fire incident occurred.

Responding to a query, the minister said that the Sindh government was paying special attention to improving health care facilities, and added that the burns wards would soon be revived throughout the province so that victims of any fire incident could be provided with medical aid in time.