Health dept disputes diphtheria death toll

KARACHI:

The Sindh Health Department has disputed a report filed by The Express Tribune related to diphtheria-deaths, saying the province has recorded 10 confirmed fatalities, not 13, while Tribune has maintained that its story was based on information provided by the relevant hospital's spokesperson.

In a letter sent to the Sindh Information Secretary, EPI Sindh Project Director Dr Raj Kumar said certain figures published in a recent newspaper report on diphtheria did not reflect the official record.

According to the letter, the report stated that 13 deaths had occurred at the Sindh Infectious Diseases Hospital (SIDH). However, EPI Sindh said the actual number of diphtheria deaths recorded at SIDH was seven, while the total number of confirmed deaths across Sindh stood at 10.