Syed Ali Shah:
QUETTA: Balochistan reported over 20,000 malaria cases in less than a month. Most of the cases were reported from flood-hit districts of Naseerabad, Jaffarabad, Lasbela, Khuzdar, Kachhi, Jhal Magsi, Sohbat Pur and other areas.
“Naseerabad is the worst hit district by malaria”, Hafiz Muhammad Tahir, the Health Secretary Balochistan told Daily Quetta Voice. He said a major part of the population in Naseerabad was suffering from malaria. Raging floods wreaked havoc in the Naseerabad division and left a large number of people homeless. The Secretary of Health however said medical camps were established in the affected areas to provide timely health care to the patients.
“Hot in the day and cold in the night”, a flood affectee complains
“During the day people are exposed to hot weather whereas at the night people are exposed to cold weather”, Aziz Ahmed Umrani, a resident of the Dera Murad Jamali said.
Independent sources the number of malaria patients is much higher than what is being quoted by the officials. The Balochistan health minister Syed Ehsan Shah reveals, “60 percent population of Naseerabad is suffering from malaria”.
Despite repeated attempts, the Quetta Voice failed to get details about the malaria cases in Pishin, Killa Abdullah, Chaman, Quetta and other flood-hit districts of Balochistan. “Simply, we have no proper data about the rising malaria cases”, an official of the health department told this scribe. He requested anonymity since he was not authorized to speak to the media.
Raging floods unleashed by torrential rains have been followed by the outbreak of cholera, dengue, gastro and malaria in various parts of Balochistan. Women and children are in desperate need of support in the flood-affected areas. Most of the cases are going unnoticed. “There is no panadol tablet here”, Ayub Bhangar, a resident of the Dera Allah Yar lamented.
50,000 cases of cholera, malaria, dengue, gastro reported in Balochistan
As per the statistics obtained by the daily, the Balochistan health department said more than 50,000 cases of cholera, dengue, malaria, and gastro have been reported till September 23rd. So far the health department has focused on some specific areas and far-flung areas of Balochistan are still out of the radar of the department.
“We are getting an increasing number of laboratory tests of malaria and dengue every day”, an owner of the private laboratory on Quetta’s Jinnah Road said. He preferred not to be named.
In most of the areas, when contacted by this scribe, the people demanded special sprays to stop the spread of malaria and other diseases.
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