At least 10 children have died, while dozens have been hospitalised in the past two weeks following a measles outbreak in the Mithoo gypsy colony near Kunri in Umerkot district.

According to Sattar Jogi, a famous classical flute player and snake charmer, 800 families live in the gypsy colony near village Sabhri, which has been affected by the measles outbreak that began around two weeks ago.

He said that the community has been living under extreme poverty and unhygienic conditions with lack of drinking water and health facilities, especially routine vaccination.

Khemchand Jogi informed Dawn that his son Ramchand had contracted a high fever with a dry cough, runny nose, sore throat, inflamed eyes (conjunctivitis) and tiny white spots with bluish-white centres on a red background inside the mouth and on the inner lining of the cheek. Ramchand died within a week, Khemchand said.

Loung Jogi told Dawn that his son Prem and 35 other neighbours had been hospitalised so far.

He said that the community's men are poor labourers who visit different areas of Pakistan for work while the women and children stay in the colony. But they have never been visited by a vaccinator for routine immunisation, resulting in the loss of young lives.

Sajan Jogi said they have tried traditional methods of healing by burning donkey dung and spent a lot of money at private clinics but failed to save their dying children.

While confirming that the disease affecting the children was measles, District Health Officer (DHO) Umerkot Karmoon Mal claimed that whenever vaccinators visited the colony, the gypsies would not be present as they migrate in search of livelihood.

Laeq Sand, a primary teacher in the village, ruled out the DHO Umerkot's version, stressing that only males leave the colony to labour, begging or amusing people with snakes and flutes, but children are enrolled at schools and therefore live with women and the elders in the colony.

The government is yet to take action on the matter.