Mirpurkhas: Medical Aid Foundation’s 25-member team held a four-day camp in Mirpukhas, Umerkot and Chhor, says a press release.
Umerkot and Chhor are extremely neglected areas. Medical camps were conducted in villages and rations were distributed.
Local doctors and volunteers assisted the team and 2200 families were given ration to last one week. A total number of 1.968 patients were examined.
It was sad to see many sick patients coming to the camp at dusk on camel back.
The medical camps revealed hepatitis B, Cerebral Malaria as well as Gastro Enteritis. There is a dearth of medicines and any kind of statistics with the local doctors.
During the camp booklets and pamphlets in examination of the diseases. 11 cases of cancer were detected among which 5 were terminal and 6 in remission. They were brought to RAHATKADA for treatment.
Diseases like the guinea worm, caused by stagnating dirty water, were found in many men, women and children and every 5th female examined was a TB patient. Many families were totally effected. No TB treatment was begin given to them. This is an emergency to combat this disease in Mirpurkhas and Thar districts.
Chhor is a border town of the Tharparkar district. The only mode of transport across the vast desert is the “Kerka”, a huge truck which transports men, women, children, their livestock and foodstuff. The journey being long and rough has almost no stopovers. The animals defecate and urinate within the truck carrying food and people, hence accelerating the speed of disease.
Rains and floods have created problems of health and hygiene but it has made worse the already existing problems of poverty and neglect at the hands of bigwigs. It is really surprising how their population is still surviving against all odds possible.
Timely assistance of the Deputy British High Commissioner assisted the relief and medical work. |
