Faiq Ali Bugti, Aziz Marri, News Desk :
An outbreak of cholera has claimed four lives and affected 1500 in Balochistan’s resource-rich Dera Bugti district. “Four people including a child died because of cholera”, Azam Bugti, the District Health Officer (DHO) Dera Bugti said. However, people of the area and independent sources put the number of deaths over a dozen in the Pir Koh area of Dera Bugti.
The situation has also prompted the World Health Organization (WHO) to dispatch its team to the affected areas. “We have dispatched a team to investigate and assess the situation”, an official of the WHO said. He requested anonymity since he was not authorized to speak to the media.
Poorly equipped hospitals in the district were jam-packed with patients and their attendants in the aftermath of the outbreak of cholera. Women and children were also among the affectees.
“The situation is alarming but there are no health facilities”, Muhammad Bakhsh Bugti
“The situation is alarming but there are no health facilities”, Muhammad Bakhsh Bugti, a resident of the area said. He lamented that the provincial government had failed to improve health facilities in the district despite repeated assurances and announcements. Five family members of Mr. Bugti including a child were admitted to Pir Koh hospital because of contaminated water. “They are under treatment and we pray for their immediate recovery”, he said as his voice cracked.
Chief Minister Balochistan, Mir Quddus Bizenjo took notice of the outbreak of cholera and directed the health department to double its efforts to make sure timely health facilities for the patients. The CM has ordered an immediate release of Rs.10 million to support the patients in the Dera Bugti district, an official handout issued on Wednesday evening said.
“Women and children also among the patients”, DHO Dera Bugti
Most of the patients had become weak because of cholera and the non-availability of clean drinking water and proper treatment. “Government should ensure the provision of medicines”, Muhammad Nawaz Bugti, a father of the child in Pir Koh hospital tells Quetta Voice.
DHO Dera Bugti, Azam Bugti said cholera has affected around 1500 people. “Most of the patients and either women or children”, he informed. The major reason behind the spread of cholera was using contaminated water by the people.
Ruling Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) Senator Sarfaraz Bugti took to the social media network Twitter and said that the area house more than 40,000 people and the number of patients was higher than what was being quoted by the officials.
Animals cannot drink this saltish/bitter water: Nawaz Bugti
Muhammad Nawaz Bugti, a resident of the Pir Koh, says that the water used to be bitter/saltish but this year it is so bitter and dirty due to lack of rain that even animals in other areas do not drink it. “But, we have no choice but to drink”, he lamented.
He said that during Ramadan, some philanthropists sent some water tankers from Dera Bugti, 25 km away were providing water to the people.
When the tankers stopped coming on Eid, people were forced to drink the poisonous and bitter water. That’s how people got sick, he said. The DHO also endorsed his claim. He said that the road to Dera Bugti was rough and the tanker owners demanded Rs. 3,000 to Rs.5,000.
