Death toll in Thar rises to 200 in 2 months

MITHI: The death toll of children suffering from malnutrition and diseases rose to 200 in Thar in the past two months as one more infant died of this situation.

The newborn baby of Partab Kolhi died at Civil Hospital, Mithi, exposing the major hospital’s efficiency and performance. It has become a routine occurrence for infants to die in this hospital, which is a matter of grave concern.

The government needs to take hectic measures to provide full treatment to the sick children of the Thar region in view of its claim of keeping the health sector on top most priority basis besides providing sufficient food and other relief items in light of the ongoing drought in Thar.

The drought in Tharparkar has severely affected the lives of its inhabitants. The most severely affected population is that of children. Malnutrition and accompanying diseases are on the rise due to poverty and food insecurity. However, the government has initiated relief measures to provide some food items to the poor, but the fact is that it is insufficient.

The Sindh government should come forward with sincere efforts and do what is necessary instead of merely delivering lip service and making false claims about their efforts in the Thar region. An estimate of Rs 100 billion is required to be spent on the people of Thar per annum if poverty is to be eliminated from the area. Adequate measures similar to the kind that PM Imran Khan announced for the FATA region must be considered for Thar as well.