MITHI: A two-member fact-finding team sent to Tharparkar by the federal government has expressed its dissatisfaction over the measures taken so far by the provincial government to ensure proper supply of food and water as well as availability of healthcare facilities to the people affected by a drought-like situation in parts of the district.

After visiting Islamkot, Nagarparkar, Dahli, Chhacchro talukas and remote villages of the district over the past few days, the team comprising Federal Minister of State Siddique-al-Farooque and MNA Dr Ramesh Kumar Vankwani observed that the situation had already led to the death of a large number of children below the age of five and some expectant mothers.

Speaking to journalists in Chha­cchro town on Monday, they said that chronic droughts over decades had already battered the Thar region. They said the food and water supplies in villages was now turning from bad to worse while water-borne diseases and those related to malnutrition were continuing to take toll.

While the children’s death toll over the last couple of months was cause of serious concern, there were apprehensions of more fatalities in the coming days as the remedial measures taken so far were unlikely to bring about a remarkable change in the situation.

“Contrary to the Sindh government’s tall claims of having reopened those clinics and dispensaries that had been lying non-functional for years, no improvement in the healthcare facilities was noted during our visit,” they said.

The team stressed the need for immediate implementation of comprehensive plans like the ‘mother and child survival programme’, and warned that if such initiatives were not taken on an emergency basis, the situation could assume an alarming proportion.

It observed that the situation was also taking its toll on livestock causing huge losses to poor Tharis over the past four years. They government and international donor agencies must pay due attention towards the issue in order to mitigate the sufferings of the Thar people, it said.

The team claimed that scores of the reverse osmosis (RO) plants installed to ensure availability of drinking water to residents of various villages were found lying out of order during its visit.

Later, speaking to Dawn, Dr Vankwani said that the team would submit its detailed report and recommendations to the prime minister and relevant federal officials.

Meanwhile, six more children affected by malnutrition and related diseases were reported dead in various areas of Tharparkar on Sunday night and Monday taking the unofficial death toll within the last two months to 245.

Three of them died in the Mithi Civil Hospital on Monday and were identified as one-year-old Ravita Meghwar, two-year-old Bhawani Bheel and newborn Ghulam Mohammed. Three newborns, born to Mr Chandar, Mr Foto and Mr Chaman, died in the same hospital the previous night.

The parents of Bhawani Bheel raised a hue and cry soon after their baby’s death accusing the duty doctor of having adopted an indifferent and callous attitude towards the patient.

They refused to leave with the baby’s body until Senior Civil Judge and Mithi Relief Inspecting Judge Mian Fayyaz Rabbani arrived at the hospital and gave them a hearing. The judge assured them that he would take up the matter with the competent authorities and recommend action against anyone found responsible for the baby’s death.

The Tharparkar Deputy Commissioner constituted a three-member committee headed by Mithi mukhtiarkar Ghulam Mustafa Khoso to hold an inquiry into the matter and submit a report to him within the next 24 hours.

Contradicting the figure of 245 quoted by independent sources being the death toll over the past two months, district health officer Dr Arjan Das put it at 93.

Published in Dawn, March 1st, 2016