Taking exception to the deteriorating situation in Thar, the Sindh High Court directed the federal and provincial governments on Wednesday to submit detailed reports outlining their efforts to contend with the issues faced by drought-affected people and mitigate their sufferings.
Headed by Chief Justice Maqbool Baqar, a division bench had taken up the petitions filed by Pakistan Institute of Labour and Education Research (PILER) and other NGOs through which they sought action against the authorities concerned for their failure to provide relief and health facilities to the people of famine-hit Tharparkar.
Earlier, the court had directed the judges of Tharparkar and Umerkot to conduct an enquiry into the effectiveness of relief operation being carried out in the affected areas.
In compliance with the court order, District and Sessions Judge Umerkot submitted his report stating that the Sindh government had not taken serious efforts for filling the vacant posts of doctors paying compensation to drought victims and releasing funds for the potable water supply schemes in famine-hit areas.
He pointed out that several posts of doctors, civil surgeons, gynaecologists, paediatricians and other medical specialists were lying vacant in Umerkot Hospital, adding that 130 doctors were serving against the sanctioned strength of 401.
The judge, who visited the DHQ Umerkot along with other judges, found that 23 children were under treatment at the hospital but not a single paediatrician was posted there. “Patients are suffering due to unavailability of civil surgeon, physician, pathologist, skin specialist, gynaecologist, radiologist and other health specialists. On enquiry, the head of DHQ said the posts were lying vacant since 2007.” The judge added: “An X-ray machine is not working since last two years. Low quality medicines are available at the all government hospitals and health centres.”
He said out of 29 rural health centers, basic health units and government dispensaries established in the drought-hit areas of Umerkot, 18 were not functioning properly.
Mian Fayyaz Rabbani, senior civil judge Mithi, who was appointed relief inspecting judge, quoted the civil surgeon as saying that 319 deaths occurred from January 2014 to October 2014 out of which 188 under five years child died due to low birth weight pre term birth, Asphyxias/Respiratory distress (RDS).
He said deaths of the men, women and children occurred due to poverty and also thousands of animals had died and thousands of people had shifted to barrage area. He said owing to lack of nutrition during pregnancy, proper care and food, the pregnant ladies give births to weak child before time of birth.
The judge said the district administration had not taken preventive action in advance to avoid facing this critical situation and the relief packages provided by the federal and provincial government had not been distributed amongst the drought-affected people transparently and fairly and the local administration also showed favouritism.
