23 May 2004	Sunday	03 Rabi-us-Saani 1425

HYDERABAD, May 22: Sindh Health Minister Naeem Ishtiaq has said that a summary has been moved to Chief Minister Ali Mohammad Mahar, seeking more funds as the health department has exhausted its budget.

Speaking at a press conference at the local press club and later talking to journalists at the civil hospital after visiting different government hospitals in the district, he said that he would recommend payment of compensation to victims of gastroenteritis to Mr Mahar.

The minister demanded release of sufficient quantity of fresh water at upstream Kotri from the Sukkur Barrage to lessen contamination of water in the River Indus.

He said that action would be taken against irrigation officials responsible for the release of poisonous water into the Indus from the Manchar Lake without informing Water and Sanitation Agency and Kotri Barrage authorities.

Mr Ishtiaq maintained that the situation had not improved as flow of patients to different hospitals was the same, with the result that two to three children were accommodated on one bed.

He said that the irrigation department would have to release maximum quantity of fresh water as Wasa lacked arrangements to overcome such a high degree of contamination.

The minister criticized the irrigation department for releasing the lake's water into the River Indus despite knowing that enough water was not available in the river, endangering human lives and leading to death of a woman and two children.

He observed said that had enough water been available in the Indus, water quality would not have been affected.

Mr Ishtiaq said that Unicef had provided chlorine powder for purification of water.

He was quite critical of the director general, health services, saying that he should have been present in the city when emergency was declared. He said that he had asked the Sindh health secretary to issue him a show-cause notice.

The minister ordered appointment of a committee to look into complaints of patients in government-run hospitals.

He disclosed that laboratory tests had showed that water quality had improved to some extent.

Our Hyderabad Bureau adds: Unicef on Friday provided 500 drips, 500 cannulas, 500 antibiotic injections and 1000 ORS packets for patients admitted to hospitals due to consumption of contaminated water.

This was stated by the EDO, health, Dr Agha Tariq Pathan, in a statement issued here on Friday.

He said that Unicef had deputed a team for cleansing water at four pumping stations in the city through chlorine.

He said Unicef experts would also analyse water at the pumping stations and a report would be submitted to the authority concerned.

EDHI HOSPITAL: A spokesman for the Edhi Foundation said here on Saturday that the Edhi Hospital, Makrani Para, Hyderabad, was providing treatment to gastroenteritis patients.

COURT: The district and sessions judge here on Friday directed Wasa and irrigation authorities to file written statements as to when fresh and contamination-free water would be supplied to the city and what efforts had been taken so far.

The court gave the directive after hearing two identical human rights applications, filed by advocates Ayaz Latif Palijo and Sarfaraz Ahmad.

Latifabad Taluka Nazim Abdul Jabbar Khan, Kotri Barrage executive engineer Aijaz Shaikh, Water and Sanitation Agency managing director Kafeel Khanzada and two officials of Bhitai and civil hospitals attended the court.