THATTA, July 25: Hundreds of patients being treated through 87 health facilities of the district are suffering due to non-availability of drugs and vaccines including anti-snake venom (ASV) and anti-rabies vaccine (ARV) for the last couple of months. Within the last six weeks, at least five casualties have been reported due to non-availability of ASVs in the Sujawal sub-division only.

Sources told Dawn that in comparison to Rs31.2 million released to the district health department for the year 2003-04 for provision of free medicine to patients, a reduced allocation of Rs28.4 million was approved for the year 2004-05.

They said it was much against the prevalent rules that allowed a 10 per cent annual enhanced allocation for the purpose to meet ever-growing requirement of the population. The allocation for the year 2004-05 has been released 50 per cent as per calculation it offers a free medicine facility of Rs9.27 per patient per year.

They said none of the 87 health facilities, including four taluka hospitals, nine rural health centres, 49 basic health units, 17 government dispensaries, 32 maternal child health centres and five others which facilitated a record registered OPD patients of 893,000 in the year 2003-04, have even ASV and ARV vaccines, a vital requirement in emergency particularly during the flood season.

EDO health Dr Hafeez Memon said the director-general of the Sindh health services had directed all the EDOs to arrange ASVs from open market as the National Institute of Health Islamabad was incapable to meet requirements of the entire country.

Sources said due to non-release of allocated funds by the provincial finance department, district health authorities could not tackle the situation.

They said the situation had deteriorated to the extent that routine ambulance services had become stationary as the department could not afford the POL expenses.

They said non-availability of medicines, including life saving drugs, ASVs and ARVs, had badly hampered the services and shattered the confidence of people in the health adviser.

RALLY: Academicians, NGO activists and people from different walks of life, in collaboration with the National Commission for Human Development and district education department, took out a rally under the banner of “Education for All” here on Monday.