Water-borne diseases common among victims
Fazil Banda is one of the areas worst hit by water that left inhabitants with a score of water-borne diseases.
SWAT:
Although flood water has receded in several areas, the miseries of those stricken by the tragedy are far from over. Fazil Banda, an area of Gwalerai nearly 20 km from Matta, is one of the areas worst hit by water that left inhabitants with a score of water-borne diseases.
A free medical camp set up by Sarhad Rural Support Programme (SRSP) - a no-profit organisation in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, and supported by the Pakistan Army, is swarmed by a large number of people, a majority of whom are women and children suffering from such diseases.
Luqmania, a woman with a three-year-old daughter who was waiting in a queue for check-up told The Express Tribune pathetically, “My entire family is ill and suffering from chest infection, fever and diarrhoea. There is no dispensary or hospital in this area while the flood wiped out all the bridges due to which we cannot go to another area for help.”
Husan Jamala, another female patient with chest infection and high fever, said, “I was at God’s mercy because nobody came to help as my infection grew day by day. However after hearing about this camp, I came here immediately. The doctors and the other staff are very good and we are thankful to them.”
Dr Mehwish, one of the doctors working at the camp voluntarily, said: “A majority of the cases we are dealing with here are related to water-borne diseases. Urinary tract infections are very common in females, the major reason of which is contaminated water used in toilets, while diarrhoea and cough are very common in children. We have come across some cases of skin disease as well.”
Mahbooba, a 50-year-old woman seemed relaxed after getting treatment and medicines from the camp. “I have digestion problem and also cannot hear properly. I was being treated at a hospital before the floods where doctors prescribed me expensive medicines and asked me to come for a second check-up. But due to the flood I could not continue my treatment. In this camp I got better treatment with free medicines for which I am grateful to these people who have set up the camp,” she said.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 29th, 2010.
Although flood water has receded in several areas, the miseries of those stricken by the tragedy are far from over. Fazil Banda, an area of Gwalerai nearly 20 km from Matta, is one of the areas worst hit by water that left inhabitants with a score of water-borne diseases.
A free medical camp set up by Sarhad Rural Support Programme (SRSP) - a no-profit organisation in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, and supported by the Pakistan Army, is swarmed by a large number of people, a majority of whom are women and children suffering from such diseases.
Luqmania, a woman with a three-year-old daughter who was waiting in a queue for check-up told The Express Tribune pathetically, “My entire family is ill and suffering from chest infection, fever and diarrhoea. There is no dispensary or hospital in this area while the flood wiped out all the bridges due to which we cannot go to another area for help.”
Husan Jamala, another female patient with chest infection and high fever, said, “I was at God’s mercy because nobody came to help as my infection grew day by day. However after hearing about this camp, I came here immediately. The doctors and the other staff are very good and we are thankful to them.”
Dr Mehwish, one of the doctors working at the camp voluntarily, said: “A majority of the cases we are dealing with here are related to water-borne diseases. Urinary tract infections are very common in females, the major reason of which is contaminated water used in toilets, while diarrhoea and cough are very common in children. We have come across some cases of skin disease as well.”
Mahbooba, a 50-year-old woman seemed relaxed after getting treatment and medicines from the camp. “I have digestion problem and also cannot hear properly. I was being treated at a hospital before the floods where doctors prescribed me expensive medicines and asked me to come for a second check-up. But due to the flood I could not continue my treatment. In this camp I got better treatment with free medicines for which I am grateful to these people who have set up the camp,” she said.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 29th, 2010.