July 02, 2008	Wednesday	Jamadi-us-Sani 27, 1429

KARACHI, July 1: A number of people have developed fever and other ailments in Rehri Goth over the past few weeks due to the unhygienic conditions prevailing in some areas following the flooding and destruction caused by a high tide some weeks ago.

Villagers told Dawn that in the aftermath of the June 5 devastation that affected hundreds of households, many people, including children and women, residing in Syed Mohalla and Sacchal Dino Mohalla of Rehri Goth had contracted gastrointestinal problems and fever. They called for greater government intervention since the area lacked supplies of clean drinking water and sewerage and sanitation system.

“The foul-smelling water gradually receded, but now we face another tragedy. Every second person is ill here now and the reason is the lack of basic facilities. The filthy, stagnant water at some places has become a breeding ground for mosquitoes and people – most of them illiterate – have no clue how to save themselves from the menace,” said Sultan Shah, a resident of Syed Mohalla, whose two sons also suffered from diarrhoea and malaria.

He also said that though medical camps set up by an NGO and the town administration had provided temporary relief, immediate measures were needed to improve living conditions in the area.

“Villagers repeatedly told the town health officer, Bin Qasim Town, about the deteriorating situation in the area after the tide, but he didn’t take any prompt action. Today, there are at least two or three individuals in every family who are ill. Syed Mohalla alone comprise about 200 households,” he said, adding that the medical camp set by the town administration didn’t have enough medicines and people had complained that they were not being properly examined by the staff.

Another resident, Nawaz Dablo, said that the protective bund that broke a few years ago still remains unattended. “The recent flooding damaged the bund further and the entire area stands more vulnerable to high tides. If no preventive measures are taken, the situation could cause greater human and material loss.”

Dr Jamil Marri, in-charge of the rural health centre, Rehri Goth, however, dispelled the impression that an epidemic had occurred in the area villages, as reported in some newspapers.

“I examined about 100 patients at the medical camp yesterday. Of them, only one patient had high-grade fever while a few were suffering from mild to moderate fever. Though the rest didn’t have any specific symptoms, they were anaemic and complained of having occasional fever at night.”

He further said that he had taken blood samples to test whether the illness was malaria or not. The results would be available in five days.

According to a Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF) survey, around 150 people fell ill due to the prevailing health crisis in Rehri Goth: of them 35 were admitted to different city hospitals during the last few days.