DADU, Jan 21: Hundreds of inhabitants of hilly areas of Kohistan and Kachho have been infected by a skin disease called Cutaneous Leishmaniasis.

Owing to shortage of the required injection for the treatment of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis, the health department officials have failed control its outbreak in the western part of Dadu district.

Hundreds of people have been admitted to private hospitals and medical camps have been established at different places of taluka Johi and Mehar.

The disease has reportedly spread in nearly 200 villages of the western part of the district including Johi, Khairpur Nathan Shah, Mehar, Kotri, Sehwan and Thana Bula Khan talukas.

The inhabitants of the areas are very poor and most of them have neither the money to buy the medicine nor transport to reach Dadu civil hospital for the treatment.

The head of village Sher Mohammad Babbur of taluka Johi, Haji Moharram Babbur, told Dawn that 16 residents of his village were infected by the disease and treated at the private hospitals of Johi.

Mohammad Hussain Laghari, notable of village Faiz Mohammad Leghari, said that out of 300 villagers, 70 were infected from the skin disease.

Out of 50 residents of village Bachal Leghari, 20 people were infected by the disease. Rajab Laghari, a notable of the village, said that doctors had not visited their village.

In village Bazmal, Hero Khan, Saeed Khan, Nangar Daryo, Chakar Koat, Wahi Pandhi, Bakhar Jamali, Paryo Jamali, Sorri, Fateh Rustamani, Fatoo Brohi, Haji Khan, Qasim Rodhnani, Thal and others, majority of the people are infected by the disease.

Dr Ghulam Mustafa Soomro, who runs a clinic at Dadu, said that 90 per cent inhabitants of the western part of Dadu district were infected by Cutaneous Leishmaniasis. Only in seven days he had treated around 200 patients of this disease.

He said that due to shortage of the antimony injection and other proper medicines, the outbreak of the disease could not be controlled.

He added if the health department did not provide the required medicines or antimony injection, the people could be infected by dangerous kinds of skin diseases like Visceral Leishmaniasis and Donovana Leishmaniasis.

Dr Mohammad Hashim Thaheem, the medical superintendent, Johi taluka hospital, said that after receiving the information of the outbreak of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis, medical camps were established at Hero Khan village, Wahi Pandhi and other villages.

The doctors examined some 600 inhabitants who were infected by the disease. Dr Thaheem admitted that due to shortage of the required injection, the patients’ suffering had increased.

He said that the disease was spreading due to growth of the fly bacteria (vector) in the hilly areas.

Meanwhile, Dr Ahmed Ali Samejo, medical officer of a local NGO, Child Development, suggested that spray should be carried out in the villages.

When contacted, Dadu District Nazim Malik Asad Sikandar said that he had directed the officials of the health department to establish medical camps in Kohistan, Kachho and hilly areas in the western part of the district.

TWO ARRESTED: An outlaw, Khan M. Jatoi, was arrested from the Jhaloo forest by the Jhaloo police on Monday. A pistol was recovered from his possession.