Two more infants fall prey to deadly malnutrition in Tharparkar

KARACHI: Malnutrition continues to take lives of infants in Thar, as two more children succumbed to malnutrition in Mithi’s Civil Hospital on Friday.

Sensing the importance of the issue, Sindh government has finally called an emergent meeting to review Thar situation.

Chief Minister Sindh, Syed Murad Ali Shah will preside over the meeting, in which heads of 15 institutes will be in attendance.

The meeting will also be attended by the five vice chancellors of medical universities.

Yesterday, two more children died of malnutrition and other diseases at Civil Hospital, Mithi. According to sources, two little girls Malookan 5, and six-month infant Husna died at the hospital.

Total death count of children due to malnutrition and other diseases in Sindh’s drought-stricken district of Tharparkar has reached 29 this month, and 529 for the year so far.

The Supreme Court, recently summoned the Sindh chief secretary and other top officials in a case pertaining to the deaths of children owing to malnutrition in Tharparkar.

The chief justice remarked that he would himself visit Tharparkar to monitor the situation in the drought-hit desert region.

MNA Ramesh Kumar Vankwani during the hearing told the judges that there is a need to establish basic health centers at the level of villages in Tharparkar. Thar is the place where one could find every kind of herbs for medicines available the world over, he claimed.

He said the health department alone couldn’t address the situation as the participation of other departments would be necessary for relief efforts in the region.

CJP asked the Attorney General of Pakistan what role could the court play in this situation.

He suggested that the district and session judge of Mithi be called to brief the top court about the current situation there.