A matter of negligence? Drought has killed 275 children in 11 months: official list

Four more deaths have been reported from Tharparkar in the last two days

HYDERABAD:

The unabated drought in Tharparkar coupled with a dearth of health facilities has claimed the lives of 275 children in 11 months, according to an official list prepared by the district administration.

Deputy commissioner (DC) Asif Jameel submitted the list, containing the details of children under the age of five who died between December 2013 and October 2014, to the provincial government on Thursday. Although the deaths are officially recognised as drought-related, the medical causes of mortality have mostly been cited as being pneumonia, blood infection, diarrhoea, birth asphyxia and haemorrhagic fever.

This admission also flies in the face of the Sindh government's attempts to downplay the effect of the persistent drought and prevailing poverty among children and pregnant mothers. Four more deaths, including that of a mother, have been reported from Tharparkar in the last two days.

Chandu Meghwadh, the 23-year-old wife of Sardaro Meghwadh, died along with her child during a caesarean delivery at Civil Hospital, Mithi. According to Dr Rabia, part of the medical team at the hospital, the woman was very weak and was brought too late to the hospital. The deceased belonged to Aban Jo Tarh village in Mithi tehsil.

Meanwhile, 12-day-old infant Muharram died at Chachro taluka hospital on Thursday and a 10-day-old baby girl died at Civil Hospital, Mithi, on Friday.

The government has failed to clarify why the mortality rate has not yet subsided in the district. A seven-member committee of doctors, headed by former Civil Hospital, Mithi, civil surgeon Dr Jawahar Lal, recently inspected the district and taluka hospitals. However, they refused to share their findings.

"We have noted shortages and will be sending our report to the provincial government," said Dr Lal, who was removed from his position by the chief minister in March this year when the district's child mortality peaked. "We want improvements through the addressing of these problems by the government."

Meanwhile, his replacement at the hospital, Dr Shafqat Dahiri, shrugs off responsibility by reiterating the official stance: "The patients are mostly brought to us when they reach very critical condition."

Haleem Adil Shaikh, the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid leader who distributed relief goods and supplied water tankers to dozens of villages, said that official negligence had claimed hundreds of lives. "The government should move beyond merely making statements and announcements," he stressed. "PPP leaders must conduct inquiries against the health, food and livestock ministers who oversaw the highly flawed calamity response."

Relief from the Centre

The federal government will conduct a survey of the needs of Tharparkar's residents in order to formulate a policy to support them with loans and other financial means. Federal Baitul Mal managing director Abid Waheed, who visited a village in Chachro tehsil on Friday to distribute relief goods and water, said that the survey would be completed in a month or two. "We want to provide youth loan schemes as well as give support to pregnant women," he told the local media.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz provincial leader Nehal Hashmi, who accompanied him, accused the provincial government of negligence. "I am surprised that despite such obvious failures, no action has been taken against any official," he said.

The district administration earlier submitted a list of 115 children who died between December 2013 and March 2014. The government has announced that it will pay Rs500,000 in compensation to each family.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 8^th, 2014.