Health of women and children ‘top priority’

KARACHI: Health services for women and children, who have been displaced by the floods, should be our first priority as people at relief camps are vulnerable to infections such as diarrhoea, respiratory illnesses and skin infections, said Aga Khan University (AKU) Division of Maternal and Child Health chair Dr Zulfiqar Bhutta on Friday.

“Pakistan already has poor maternal and child health indicators,” he added.

To tackle the issue, AKU is running centres and camps in Karachi, Khairpur, Matiari, Naushero Feroze and Sukkur that focus on providing medical treatment to pregnant women and children.

“Having spent time at the Khairpur District Headquarters Hospital as well as the Sukkur Railway Hospital, I have observed that the humanitarian crisis is similar in both places,” said AKU Department of Paediatric and Child Health’s resident doctor, Muhammad Shafaat Shah.

At the AKU medical camp in the That Guraho village in Naushero Feroze, more than 55 per cent of the patients are women who are mostly suffering from severe diarrhoea and skin infections. Many of the pregnant women also require antenatal care.

“There is no awareness in terms of care during pregnancy or the concept of safe delivery procedures is also alien to them,” said Shah. “Most children are brought in with diarrhoea and severe dehydration. Even if they survive these issues, the situation makes us wonder if they will be able to survive malnutrition when the go back? The problems of poverty, ignorance regarding basic hygiene practices, a shortage of clean drinking water and sanitation are all too apparent,” he added.

After flood warnings were issued in Thatta, volunteers and officials from the AKU Department of Community Health Sciences evacuated villagers from Darro, Mir Pur Bathoro and Mir Pur Sakro talukas.

AKU also aims to extend its relief efforts to the Dadu, Shikarpur, Kashmore, and Jacobabad districts within the next 10 days and provide relief to flood survivors for the next three to four months as part of the national rehabilitation efforts.

MALC doing its bit  for IDPs

Thousands of people who were displaced in the floods are being looked after by the Marie Adelaide Leprosy Centre (MALC) in Karachi with the help of the German Leprosy and TB Relief Association and the Austrian Caritas St Poelten.

The leprosy centre is also providing food, tents, utensils, water barrels, coolers and floor mats to the IDPs in Kandhkot, Shikarpur, Larkana, Mehar, Hyderabad and Jamshoro, along with medical assistance.

MALC founding member Dr Ruth Pfau and CEO Shakil Ahmad are monitoring the relief activities and visiting the affected areas to encourage team members.

The centre also plans to take part in the rehabilitation of victims, for which a comprehensive plan has been worked out.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 18^th, 2010.