Death toll at Civil Hospital, Tharparkar reaches 30

Judicial officer expresses dismay over lack of services, cleanliness at hospital

HYDERABAD: With four more deaths of children reported from Civil Hospital, Tharparkar on Sunday, the monthly death toll has reached 30. The state of services at the hospital, which is considered the best health facility in the desert district, remains questionable as laid bare by a visit of a judicial officer.



According to hospital sources, two-year-old Kapil, six-month-old Sheherbano Amjad and two newborns died at the hospital on Sunday. The civil judge and judicial magistrate, Gurmukhdas Giani, reprimanded the administration over lack of cleanliness at all of the hospital's wards and absentee staff.

He was also dismayed to note that a private diagnostic laboratory in the hospital's premises was operating without a pathologist. "The court can order registration of an FIR over this illegal practice and send the owner and staff to jail," the judge warned, giving a day to the hospital and laboratory to explain why a pathologist has not been appointed.



Patients and attendants at the hospital complained of lack of facilities and the problem of referring almost every complicated case to Karachi or Hyderabad. They informed the judge that the hospital does not provide free ambulance services to referred cases and that they are charging between Rs7,000 and Rs12,000 to transport patients to Hyderabad.

Two more deaths were reported at Civil Hospital, Mithi on Monday - two-month-old Hakim and six-month-old Haresh Mal.