Qurban Khoso, the renowned environmental journalist and the only wildlife reporter from Thar Desert, who was hospitalised in Karachi last month has been diagnosed with complete renal failure and is in dire need of kidney transplantation. Doctors said Khoso was born prematurely with one kidney smaller in size than the other one, in which stones were recently formed. The 32-year-old journalist, who is on dialysis and staying at a rented house in Gulistan-e-Jauhar, needs to visit the hospital every other day. Khoso’s wife is prepared to donate her kidney, but the doctors have estimated that the transplant and other treatments would cost Rs 1 million. Though most of the funds would be provided by the hospital, the reporter still needs a huge amount for his hospital stay, meals and other expenditure during the treatment.
Local journalists have demanded President Asif Ali Zardari, the Sindh chief minister, the Sindh information minister, the Sindh health minister and other authorities to provide financial aid to Khoso. Khoso works for a Sindhi newspaper, and has always reported boldly, even though he was jailed twice and tortured several times for writing against local influentials and politicians.
