KARACHI, Nov 24: With reference to the grave nature of the viral disease that caused the death of Dr Yusra Afaq, both treasury and opposition benches in the Sindh Assembly urged the government to take immediate preventive measures.
Expressing their serious concern over the incident, they said that besides taking the measures to protect the doctors treating patients with such a virus, the government should take keep people informed about what steps were being taken to check such mysterious diseases.
Dr Mehreen Bhutto of PPP was the first to raise the issue in the house through a point of order when it resumed business at 2pm after Zuhr break. Speaker Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah was in the chair.
She recalled that Dr Yusra reportedly died from hemorrhagic fever. “A victim of this fatal disease starts bleeding from eyes, nose and mouth and may die within 10 days after contracting it. The doctor did not contract the virus from abroad as she had been working in the hospital for the last three months. She had contracted the same locally.
The member drew the attention of the house to the strike by doctors of the Civil Hospital for the last three days, and said that they were demanding immediate measures to protect the doctors handling such cases. Their strike, she added, had also aggravated the situation at the hospital as no doctor was available there to attend to patients.
Stressing the need for creating an ‘isolation ward’ for treating such patients as a preventive measure, Dr Bhutto said another doctor, Dr Samir, who had reportedly contracted the same virus, had been admitted to the special ward of the Jinnah Hospital. Besides, 10 to 12 patients suffering from similar viral infections were reportedly under treatment at the Aga Khan University Hospital.
She apprehended that the virus was of a local origin and, as such, there was every possibility of the spread of the virus. Dr Bhutto called upon the government to inform the house that what steps it had taken to check the virus since Dr Yusra’s death and whether test had been carried out on her family members.
Ms Heer Ismail Soho of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement referred to a newspaper report suggesting that over the past two months, 31 patients suffering from viral infections had been admitted to various hospitals in the city. She asked the government to inform people through media about the validity or otherwise of the report as people were quite concerned.
She also referred to the death of four women from brain fever over the past three days in Goth Baqir Magsi of Thatta, and stressed the need for providing necessary medicines and diagnostic facilities to detect the diseases.
Mohammad Hussain of MQM claimed that there was no laboratory in Sindh to carry out the test for Congo virus. Therefore, the government should set up such a laboratory immediately, he added.
Ms Shama Mithani of PPP pointed out that the isolation ward at the Civil Hospital was not functional for the last five years. She urged the government to take immediate step in this regard.
Responding to the points of order raised by members, Health Minister Shabbir Qaimkhani said that Congo virus or hemorrhagic fever had been detected in Africa and South Asia. Dr Yusra had got married some three months back and gone to Malaysia, he informed the house, adding that there was a possibility of her having contracted the virus during her visit.
However, he said, a committee comprising senior doctors had been formed to look into the possible causes of her death as there were 12 kinds of Congo virus.
Referring to the doctors’ strike, the minister said he had sent the health secretary to hold talks with the doctors on Wednesday. Their five demands had been met, the minister told the house. An isolation ward with 10 beds had been created and steps were taken for introducing an anti-viral course, he said.
Pointing out that the committee formed in this regard would prepare its report in three-four days, the minister appealed to the doctors to end their strike.
Ms Sharfun Nisa Lehghari of PPP, in her point of order, drew attention of the house to the case of honour killing in Mehar town where a man killed his wife after accusing her of having illicit relations. She called for exemplary punishment to the killer.
Nasrullah Baloch of PPP demanded withdrawal of the ATS injections provided to the Civil Hospital Sukkur as three cases of reaction had been reported.
Assardas Danoo Mal spoke on kidnapping of people belonging to minorities, and informed the house that some of their community members, who were returning from a temple on the outskirts of Ghotki on Wednesday night, had been attacked by a gang of 10 armed men who wanted to kidnap someone among the devotees. He said that the gang killed a youth, Chutto Mal, when resistance was offered. He said that one week back, a bid to grab their land had been foiled by police.
Home Minister Rauf Siddiqui said that he had inquired from the DIG and DPO about the case and the officials were, at present, in touch with the parents of Chutto Mal. He said the officials had told him that most of such incidents in Jacobabad appeared to be result of some personal enmity or a land dispute and, thus, could not be regarded as being aimed against any particular community.
The minister said that the government had already effected certain changes in Sukkur region and more steps were being taken to improve the situation.
Referring to Shazia Marri’s point of order on the alleged arrest of PPP activists, the minister said that two persons, Pir Bukhsh and Mohammad Khan, had been arrested in Sanghar district for possessing a Kalashnikov and a rifle with bullets. He said when the DPO concerned went there to conduct a raid, the armed men opened fire resulting in injury to a police guard.
