Federal health minister brags of zero infant, maternal mortality

Not a single baby or woman died during deliveries in relief camps in Sindh, says the federal health minister.

THATTA/ KARACHI: Not a single baby or woman died during the thousands of deliveries that took place in relief camps in Sindh, said the federal health minister, Makhdoom Shahabuddin, on Saturday.

The minister visited flood-hit areas in Thatta and surveyed relief efforts. He lauded the efforts of the Sindh health department and especially of the lady health workers and midwives. Shahabuddin said  that anti-snakebite and dog bite vaccinations had been provided to hospitals. He discussed the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) and said that another three-phase programme will be launched soon to vaccinate children.

“Seven to eight million children under the age of five will be vaccinated against hepatitis in the first two phases,” he said. According to the health minister, hepatitis could not be eliminated till people stop reusing syringes. “Now we are introducing new syringes which are impossible to reuse.”

Earlier on Saturday, the minister expressed dissatisfaction at the state of the Civil Hospital Makli. He gave directions to hire specialist doctors for the hospital. He also announced that gynaecologists would be hired to serve in Thatta and these doctors will be paid Rs70,000 per month. The federal government will also provide them with lodging.

Sindh statistics

The provincial health department’s deputy secretary administration, Dr Jamalud Din Sheikh said that so far 129 people have died in relief camps across the province. He said that 1,735 deliveries have taken place in medical camps from July 31 to September 17. Meanwhile, at least 1,520,835 people were affected by different diseases and were being provided medical care in camps.

Dr Sheikh said that 527 permanent camps and 162 mobile camps were set up in the affected areas of Sindh.

Diarrhoea ranks among the most common diseases with 251,789 people afflicted with it, gastroenteritis patients number around 45,000 while 248,873 flood survivors complain of chest pain and 5,009 suffered a heatstroke. Other common diseases include skin and eye infections, snakebites and malaria. Moreover, 90,366 people suffering from hepatitis B were vaccinated and 12,392 pregnant women were examined in the camps.

With additional input from PPI

Published in The Express Tribune, September 20^th, 2010.