At least 500 locals have been afflicted with cholera in Balochistan’s Zhob district during the last four days.
“Women and children are also among worst hit,” District Health Officer (DHO) Zhob Dr Muzaffar Shah told The Express Tribune.
Cholera has already claimed three lives including two children and a woman in the same district in recent days.
An emergency has been declared in the district to cope with the calamity.
“Our doctors and paramedical staff are trying their level best to provide treatment to the patients,” he maintained.
Cholera broke out in Ganj Muhalla, Sheikhan and Kharotabad areas of Zhob city, he mentioned.
The DHO noted that especially children had been affected the most by the water-borne disease.
Main reason behind the outbreak of cholera is the use of contaminated water by the people.
Cholera has already claimed precious human lives in Dera Bugti and Barkhan districts in the past few months.
The Balochistan government cancelled Eid holidays of doctors and other meical professionals because of the heavy rainfall in the province.
“The government is fully committed to help people affected by rains and diseases,” Balochistan Health Minister Syed Ehsan Shah said.
He said the health department was prepared and well stocked to tackle any health emergency in Zhob and other parts of Balochistan.
Zhob was not the only district to suffer from the water-borne diseases as in Kohlu district, over 50 patients were brought to the District Headquarters Hospital.
Dr Asghar Marri, the Medical Superintendent (MS) of the hospital said that all 50 patients were suffering from various stomach diseases caused by the contaminated water.
“There is an alarming increase in the number of gastro patients after the recent monsoon rains,” Dr Marri said.
He however complained that his hospital was facing difficulties in handling the influx of the patients due to the shortage of medicines at the hospital.
“We demand more medicines to help us provide timely treatment to the patients,” he maintained.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 14th, 2022.
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