Flood victims need food & medicines

RECENT floods have wreaked havoc in many parts of the country: the rural population particularly has suffered greatly. The poor have become poorer. Shortly after the tragedy, free medical camps were set up in different parts of the country by the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation. Qualified doctors examined patients and provided free medicines at the people's doorsteps. Most of the people belonged to villages. Diseases like scabies, diarrhoea, malaria and respiratory tract infections were common. Women were found suffering from anaemia, night blindness, poor hygiene and malnutrition. Generally speaking, people were suffering from hunger and lacked shelter. Therefore, their first priority remained food and shelter. Next came the problem of their health. Getting treatment for skin diseases was a luxury for them. We visited different villages where most of the population lived in brick houses. A family generally comprised 15 to 20 members, who suffered from shortage of space and lack of proper sanitation facilities as these people had no concept of a toilet. Such a situation was contributing to the spread of diseases like scabies, etc. As result, if one person suffered from scabies, the disease would infect all other members of the family. Non-availability of potable water further deteriorated the situation, as a result of which diarrhoea and typhoid became rampant. Poor hygiene gave birth to mosquitoes which in turn led to the spread of malaria. The people did not have money to buy food and medicines or pay heavy fees to doctors. Even now the whole rural population of the country is on the verge of collapse, their meagre resources are not enough to sustain them any longer. The need is for the government and the people at large to inject huge amounts of money and other assistance to rescue these economically, physically, socially and culturally stranded people in villages. It may be recalled here that our country signed the WHO declaration of 'Health for All by 2000' and, as such, was bound to provide health to all our people by the year 2000. Although it is over 10 years that the deadline has crossed, we could still not fulfil that promise. A great number of our rural people have suffered a lot and are still suffering; They have no roads, no schools, no hospitals, no food and no shelter from flood. They deserve food, shelter, roads, education and, last but not least, free health. MURLI DHAR Karachi Health problems OVER 60,000 flood survivors in five districts of Balochistan are suffering from epidemics, particularly gastroenteritis and malaria, while so far over 12,853 children suffering from diarrhea and gastroenteritis have been vaccinated in the five districts. It is, however, being feared that thousands of flood victims would suffer if precautionary measures to check malaria are not launched on a priority basis. Besides, hundreds of carcasses of animals are still floating in the floodwaters. Marooned people have been forced to consume contaminated water, making them an easy prey to deadly waterborne diseases. I would request the authorities concerned to provide proper healthcare facilities, food, and shelter for the relief of flood-hit people. MOHEEM KARIM Turbat