The ground situation in Thar is comparatively better than it was in previous years. The Sindh government has focused on upgrading the civic and health facilities in Thar and thus there is no complaint about paucity of required medical facilities at the Civil Hospital in Mithi while the strength of doctors and paramedics is as per need. There is no famine-like situation anywhere in Thar and the food starvation is also not a problem. As far as the deaths of minors in Thar are concerned, there are other reasons that contribute to sudden rise in children’s death. The reasons behind such deaths are lack of awareness about handling of the neonates and mothers and delayed arrival of the ailing child to the medical facility. The medical facilities available at the Civil Hospital in Mithi are far better than any other medical facility in other districts.
Sindh Minister Nasir Shah expressed these views while addressing a press conference at PPP Media Cell Sindh on Sunday. He was flanked by Adviser to Sindh Chief Minister on Information Moula Bux Chandio, Senator Saeed Ghani, MPA Sikandar Shoro and MPA Lal Chand Okrani. PPP Karachi Division Information Secretary Lateef Mughal, Deputy Information Secretary Syed Manzoor Abbas and PPP Media Cell Sindh member Zulfiqar Kaimkhani were also present.
The minister said that the committee formed on directives of PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah had recently visited Thar. The members of the committee took the officers of certain local departments and newly-elected local bodies representatives on board and obtained necessary information from them about the ongoing situation in Thar.
He said the committee had prepared necessary recommendations and presented them to the Sindh CM for necessary onward action. “There is need to expedite the process of making life in Thar protected.” He said as was seen in the past, the committee had recommended to the Sindh chief minister for providing free wheat to the local people either at the rate of 50 kg per family or as per national identity card but the newly-elected local bodies representatives had suggested that the Sindh government should provide wheat to the local Thar population at half price. However, a foolproof mechanism would be carved out to ensure complete transparency in all matters, he assured.
ONE MORE CHILD DIES IN DROUGHT-HIT THAR, TOLL REACHES 27
At least 27 children have died of malnutrition and other causes in the Tharparkar area of the southern region of Sindh during the last 10 days.
The plight of children in southern Sindh province highlights the provincial government’s incompetence to deal with the situation. Tharparkar district in the famous Thar Desert spans over 120,000 square miles across the Indo-Pak subcontinent.
Though only 15 per cent of the desert lies in Pakistan, high rates of child mortality largely due to acute malnutrition pose a major challenge to the local authorities, humanitarian organisations and civil society groups working in the area.
Reportedly, Civil Hospital in Mithi lacks funding, staff members remain absent and medicines are scarce in the area. Lack of resources has further added to the misery of the locals. On Sunday, a child died in Diplo taking the death toll to 27.
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 an adverse effect on the life and wellbeing of communities. As a result, under-nutrition is a common problem among children and women.
In 2014, the Sindh government announced establishment of Thar Development Authority to address the problem, however, the draft is still pending for approval.