KARACHI: Nearly 200 bodies remained unidentified and unclaimed at the Edhi morgue for days before over half of them were finally buried by the charity to make space for the bodies of other heatwave victims, said a representative of the country’s largest charity on Friday.

Among the dead included the old, the poor and those fasting, said Faisal Edhi, the representative of Edhi Foundation, while addressing a press conference along with Karachi chapter general secretary of the Pakistan Medical Association Dr Qazi Wasiq at Karachi Press Club. They suspected that most of the unclaimed bodies belonged to the people from other districts of Sindh and parts of Punjab province. Many of them could be beggars and drug addicts, Mr Edhi said.

Dr Wasiq said the deaths were unfortunate but everyone knew that it could happen not only because of the heatwave but due to multiple factors caused by negligence on the part of relevant authorities, local government, civil society and community.

He said the bodies which had not yet been claimed were being buried in the Edhi graveyard. Around 140 bodies had been buried so far, while all the remaining would be buried by Saturday, he added.

Not just heatwave, but negligence on the part of govt, civil society and community blamed for deaths

To name a few, he said: “There is a total failure of clean water distribution system and absence of sewerage system in major parts of the city; electricity shortage and its impact on patients’ care; organised cutting of trees and lack of local authorities’ interest in plantation.”

Karachi witnessed complete destruction of parks, he said.

Besides, there was failure of the civil society, religious leaders and the media to spread awareness among the masses to take preventive measures, he added.

Mr Edhi also supported the PMA’s proposal for immediate upgrade of three district hospitals in Karachi as tertiary care unit and teaching hospitals.

Dr Wasiq said without clean water supply and proper sewerage system, it was not possible to have healthy population in the city. Hepatitis A, E, typhoid, cholera and gastroenteritis were common and the situation could get worse in the rainy season, he said.

He said improper distribution of power supply hindered proper water supply and treatment of patients.

During the past few months, the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) administrator had ordered cutting of all big trees in parts of the city, causing hardship to the homeless who used to rest under their shade, he said. “This senseless decision of the KMC is not understandable and it should take the responsibility of deaths of those innocent poor people,” he added. Referring to Jehangir Park in Saddar, he said the poor condition of the park reflected the KMC apathy towards citizens.

Besides, he said, cantonment boards were also responsible for the systematic destruction of parks in the city. He said the civil society and media had failed to highlight the destruction of trees and parks.

“We also failed to advise citizens about the emergency situation and the treatment they can have at home,” said Dr Wasiq, demanding elevation of at least three hospitals to tertiary level in the city to cater to emergencies.

Published in Dawn June 27th, 2015

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