Day: September 18, 2022

Karachi: Different water and vector-borne diseases have broken out in the relief camps set up for the flood-hit people of Sindh, according to a report on Sunday. In Hyderabad district, the Health Department has accelerated the provision of medicines to the people in the relief camps amid the spread of various diseases.

During the last 24 hours, 128 people have fallen prey to diarrhea and 204 people to skin diseases at the relief camps. There have also been reported 24 cases of eye infection and 17 confirmed cases of malaria, according to the Health Department.

As many as 149 people have complained about respiratory infection, whereas, 206 people have complained to have been suffering from other diseases. According to the Health Department, 882 people have been given medical facilities during the last 24 hours.

Similarly, various diseases have broken out in Qambar Shahdadkot district. The number of patients suffering from malaria, gastroenteritis and diarrhea is increasing. The Sindh government has established a temporary medical camp in the area. Three die of disease in Jacobabad

In Jacobabad, the sufferings of flood-hit people are yet to over as the gastroenteritis and malaria have gripped the district which, during the last 24 hours, has claimed the lives of three persons including two children in Garhi Khairo tehsil and different suburbs.

It has been learnt that six-year-old Usman Lashari died of gastroenteritis in suburban Saleh village, whereas, an elderly person lost his life in Sabu Khan Katohar village. Moreover, 11-year-old Ali Khan died of malaria in a relief camp near suburban Syed Azizullah Shah Village.

It merits a mention here that Garhi Khairo tehsil and suburban areas of Jacobabad district are still submerged from all sides in several feet water. The local hospital has filled with patients due to the rising number of patients amid dirt and mushrooming of mosquitoes in the area.

Due to lack of beds in the hospital, patients are forced to sit on the floor for treatment. Moreover, due to disconnection of roads for 40 days, there has been a shortage of clean water, food and medicines. The implementation of the government’s claims of providing facilities to the flood-hit people is seen nowhere.

Karachi: Pakistan has reported one death in the last 24 hours by coronavirus as the number of confirmed positive cases has surged to 1,571,822. The nationwide tally of fatalities stands at 30,606 on Sunday. According to the latest figures by the National Institute of Health (NIH), at least 90 persons were tested positive for COVID-19 across the country in the past 24 hours out of 14,663 tests conducted and the COVID Positivity Ratio was recorded at 0.61 percent. Meanwhile 89 patients are in critical condition.

Karachi: Four people including two children died and three others were injured when a truck overturned after its brakes failed on motorway in Chakwal.

According to Rescue sources on Sunday, the horrific accident took place in the disaster-prone Salt Range of the motorway in Chakwal when a family travelling to Gojra Mandi from Kaliyam Sharif to meet their relatives in their truck after buying and selling animals.

On their way, the truck overturned due to the failure of the brakes which resulted in the death of four people on the spot and leaving three others injured.

The Rescue team rushed to the site after receiving the information and provided first-aid to the injured. Later, they shifted the injured to Tehsil Headquarters Hospital (THQ) Kallar Kahar for further treatment.

Moreover, the dead bodies were also transferred to the THQ hospital by the motorway police.

“The injured included 35-year-old Rukhsana, 10-year-old Ahmed, and 34-year-old Pappu s/o Muhammad Mushtaq, who were the residents of Mandira,” said a Rescue official.

Karachi: Jinnah Sindh Medical University (JSMU) Jinnah Sindh Medical University Diagnostic Laboratory and Blood Bank have announced a special discount on lab tests for malaria, dengue, and platelets, to provide high-quality and low-cost diagnostic services to the people, in order to control the spread of diseases after the flood.

Following the instructions of Vice Chancellor Professor Amjad Siraj Memon, JSMU laboratory has set the discount rates at Rs. 750 for the Dengue NS-1 test, Rs. 750 for the Dengue antibodies test, Rs. 500 for the Malaria ICT test, and the special discounted rate of Platelet count test is set at Rs 240 for a limited time period. The laboratory reports will also be issued within two hours.

In this regard, Vice Chancellor Professor Amjad Siraj Memon said that JSMU diagnostic laboratory aims at providing facilities to the people of the province, at discounted rates and further lowered than the rate directed by the Healthcare Commission.

JSMU diagnostic laboratory provides a wide range of laboratory and diagnostic services with accurate results at minimal cost and the test results are recognized in healthcare institutions, added the Registrar Dr Azam Khan.

Karachi: The Australian government has announced an additional $3 million in aid for Pakistan’s flood relief efforts while expressing support for public’s efforts to raise funds on their own. The aid announcement on Sunday comes following an August 30 pledge of $2 million towards relief efforts in response to the devastating floods.

Australian Minister for Industry and Science Ed Husic said Australians have been “staggered by the truly devastating” floods in Pakistan. “33 million people have been affected, homes, shops, businesses, crops either severely damaged or completely destroyed and the death toll has been heartbreaking,” he told SBS Urdu radio on Sunday.

The initial pledge led to calls for an increase, including from Greens Senator Mehreen Farooqi who called on the Australian government to “pay their fair share”. Australia’s pledge comes following calls from the United Nations for the international community to provide $160 million in aid for the disaster.

Pakistan’s neighbour China committed $63.7 million, while the United States promised $44.3 million and the United Kingdom $25.4 million. Australia’s provided $75 million to Pakistan when it last faced catastrophic floods in 2010. Pakistan said it would cost at least $14.6 billion to rebuild and repair the country.

Authorities said the overall death toll reached 1,481 this week, as waterborne diseases spread among flood victims. On Friday, the Sindh provincial government confirmed 588 malaria cases with another 10,604 suspected, along with 20,064 cases of skin disease and 17,977 of diarrhea.