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LARKANA, Feb 2: A two-member team of the World Health Organization (WHO) in its primary evolution of the outbreak of a skin disease leishmanisis has termed it epidemic in Dadu and Larkana districts.
The team has extended its stay for another day to conduct more survey and take samples of tissues to inform the WHO about the epidemic in scientific way.
Dr Faizullah Kakar, epidemiologist based at Islamabad office of the WHO, and Dr Mohammed Arif Khan, director, malaria programme of National Institute of Health, Islamabad, are the members of this team.
Dr Kakar told Dawn that after a couple of days, the findings with recommendations of the team would be submitted to the WHO headquarters.
He added that the WHO would provide medicine and bed nets to the affected population and spray would be carried out in the disease stricken areas.
“We have placed order for the medicines,” the WHO representative said.
On Saturday the team talked to 20 selected medical officers from both the districts in the local health office and briefed them about the disease and the efforts being put in by WHO and NIH jointly to fight against the epidemic.
Dr Khan toldDawn that cutaneous leishmanisis had erupted in the mountainous belt and other areas of Dadu and Larkana districts.
He said that recent readings showed that at least 1.5 million people were affected around the world every year and it was female sand fly whose bite caused leishmanisis.
The statistics show that in past, Bihar in India had been the worst affect area with leishmanisis.
Dr Kakar told this correspondent that during their visit of Mehar and Faridabad talukas in Dadu district, many cases of this disease were found.
Dr Abdul Majeed Buledai from Dadu told this scribe that so far at least 300 patients of leishmanisis alone in Mehar , Faridabad and Johi taluka had been detected.
He said villages of Shah Godrio, Mojhar, Matheen Akh, Haitheen Akh, Allahdino Teevno, Sojhoro Gorar, Wahi Pandhi, Kasbo, and Hairo Khan, with Johi and Mehar town were among the worst affected areas.
ADDICTS: With the cooperation of citizens and police, a 24-bed unit in Chandka Medical College Hospital would start functioning by the second week of this month to treat heroin addicts.
The local association of medical shop owners will provide medicines for the patients.
Talking to Dawn the district police officer, Ghulam Nabi Memon, and the president of Larkana Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Anwer Shaikh, said the patients would receive free medicines and food till their rehabilitation.
According to an estimate, a patient would be cured at the cost of Rs1000 only and Rs550,000 would be spent per year on the rehabilitation of such patients.
The DPO said at the outset 50 heroin addicts lodged in Larkana Central Prison were put on treatment inside the jail.
He expected positive results from the hospital ward and said these efforts would go a long way not only in the rehabilitation of the patients but also in the support for the affected families.
CHILDREN: At least 49 missing children reunited with their families with the efforts of a local NGO in Jan last.
Disclosing this, Anwer Khokhar who runs Khidmat-i- Masoomeen Welfare Trust, said in his monthly report 28 male and 21 female missing children were delivered to their parents.
He has appealed philanthropists to extend help in getting constructed an old people’s house where those old people will be housed who have been abandoned by their families.
PROTEST: At least 20 sacked workers of the Shahdadkot Textile Mills on Saturday held a protest demonstration against the decision of PIDC to close the mill.
Manzoor Soomro, president of the labour union, led the protest demonstration.
They demanded of the government to review the decision for it would push hundreds of workers and their families to starvation.
ARRESTED: The Larkana police have arrested a notorious dacoit Mazhar Chandio involved in killing of education supervisor Zakhami Chandio.
On a tip off the police raided a house in new Karachi and arrested the dacoit against whom nine cases of murder, kidnapping for ransom and police encounter are registered in Larkana district with different police stations.
