May 23, 2006	Tuesday	Rabi-us-Sani 24, 1427

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FAISALABAD, May 22: Hospitals and medical centres were swelled with some 600 more gastro patients from Ghulam Muhammadabad and its adjoining areas here on Monday. With that the number of such patients during the last five days have reached up to 4,000 and two secondary schools of Ghulam Muhammadabad have been declared as emergency hospitals as a result.

Over 300 gastro patients were taken to Ghulam Muhammadabad General Hospital, two makeshift hospitals in schools and Allied Hospital while as many patients were rushed to private clinics and hospitals.

Meanwhile, health department teams visited private hospitals and clinics to check the medical facilities available there. Through loudspeakers of area mosques, the people were asked not to use the piped water without boiling it and take other precautionary measures to save themselves from the ailment.

General Hospital MS Dr Muhammad Anees confirmed the rising flow of patients adding that the outbreak of the gastro disease had broken all previous records in the province.

He said that some of the patients had been shifted to makeshift medical centres from the General Hospital while the ambulance facility was being provided to the people for shifting of patients to the Allied Hospital.

The situation is becoming worse day by day as health department officials have failed in launching a massive awareness campaign among the public for adopting precautionary measures.

Meanwhile, DCO Azam Suleman Khan, on behalf of the Punjab government, has announced Rs100,000 compensation each for the families of gastro victims.

He said that steps had been taken to tackle the situation and work on replacement of pipelines had been started with the release of an initial amount of Rs15 million.

Medicines for gastro patients admitted to private hospitals were also being supplied free of cost by the local administration while dozens of doctors and para-medical staff had been deputed at emergency medical centres in two schools, he said.

PPP: The PPP will protest on the Punjab Assembly platform to bring the issue of deaths from the dirty water consumption before international organisations to expose the true face of rulers.

This was stated by Punjab PPP secretary-general Rana Aftab Ahmed Khan (MPA), divisional coordinator Raja Riaz Ahmed (MPA) and local leaders while talking to journalists here on Monday.

They said that PPP MPAs in previous PA sessions had raised their voice against the mixing of drinking water with the sewerage water, but the rulers failed to take any measures.

Over a dozen people, including minor children, had lost their lives while hundreds of others were admitted to hospitals owing to the negligence of the city district administration and the Punjab government, they said.

They asked the Punjab chief minister, provincial housing and physical planning minister and the Faisalabad city district nazim to tender their resignations for their failure to provide even the clean drinking water to the people which resulted in a number of deaths.

Meanwhile, PPP leaders Rana Aftab Ahmed and Raja Riaz Ahmed also visited the General Hospital and makeshift medical centres to inquire after the gastro patients.

They also distributed medicines, food and bottled water among patients.