Malnutrition common among children in suburbs

MN Report

KARACHI- Around 60 per cent women and children are suffering from iron deficiency in the suburbs of Karachi because of poverty and low quality food purchasing power.

Besides, malnutrition cases are also common among children of suburban localities of the metropolis.

This was stated by Sindh Government New Karachi Hospital’s medical superintendent Dr (Capt) Qaiser Sultan. 
He said that the hospital which caters to the need of people residing New Karachi, North Karachi, Surjani, Gadap, Manghopir and Hub has found that around 60pc women and children visiting the health facility are anemic and suffering from iron deficiency.

Attributing the high incidences of iron deficiency and malnutrition among those visiting the hospital to poverty, he said that number of such patients is increasing with each passing. The OPDs of the 100-beded hospital is visited daily by patients ranging between 1800 and 2000.

About the hospital’s development plans, Dr Sultan said that Sindh health department had approved its expansion plans and as such 100 more beds will be added shortly.

He said that since around 40 posts of medical officers are lying vacant in the hospital, the health department has already started posting doctor to overcome shortage of doctors.

Though a number of posts of specialist doctors belonging to nephrology, urology and orthopedic fields are lying vacant, there is no shortage of medicines in the hospital, he asserted, adding that all major OPDs services, including gynaecology, cardiology, diabetes, dialysis, paediatrics, Eye, ENT, TB and all diagnostics facilities are available in the hospital.

Moreover, two modern computerized X-ray machines have been installed in health care facility for providing better diagnostic facilities to the patients, he added.