Medics fear epidemic over poor hygiene

MUZAFFARGARH: The Bassira School, on the outskirts of Muzaffargarh, has become an improvised shelter for flood survivors where doctors and paramedics treat a constant stream of patients. In the cramped quarters, benches have been turned into beds with each bed being shared by at least 3 people.

Senior medic officer Dr Said Rasool, who came with his team from the city of Haroonabad, 350 kilomtres away, said: ‘’The first problem we have is poor hygiene, the second problem is water. There is no clean water to drink. But again the main problem is poor hygiene. That is why people get sick, with large numbers of people living in a small place, diseases transfer from one to others.”

In the same improvised medical centre is Riaz Husain whose eight-year-old daughter Kiran is suffering from food poisoning. He said that she was sick because of the contaminated handouts they had received. “They brought us rice and it was totally sour. We threw it on the road and protested,” he said.

Although local charities, the army and international agencies have been providing food, water, medicine and shelter to the survivors, millions have yet to be reached.

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