Two children die of gastroenteritis

KHAIRPUR: Two children died of gastroenteritis on Monday while a medical camp set up by the government to deal with the outbreak is reported to have no medicines on hand.

An emergency camp was set up under a tree in village Sindh Khan Shar near Faiz Ganj, Khairpur after an outbreak of gastroenteritis in the village. More than 500 people, mostly women and children, have visited the camp in the past three days. However, residents said that the doctors at the camp only carried out checkups and did not provide any medicines.

The main cause for the infection, including diarrhoea, is the lack of safe drinking water. According to doctors, if clean water was not provided to residents things are likely to get worse.

The government formed an investigative team to look into the outbreak. The team’s head, Dr Nadim Shah, said that every time there is a death due to such an outbreak, an investigation is deemed necessary. He confirmed the death of two children due to gastroenteritis.

Forty of the patients diagnosed at the camp are said to be in serious condition and many of them have been shifted to Nawabshah due to the dearth of medical facilities in Faiz Ganj and nearby areas.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 27^th, 2010.