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KARACHI, Sept 18: With the death of a three-year-old boy, the toll in the waterborne epidemic outbreak in Landhi rose to nine on Sunday. More than 300 people were brought to hospitals as the disease showed no signs of abatement and the authorities seemed yet to wake up to the magnitude of the tragedy.
Mustafa, 3, son of Murad, who died in Dawood Challi locality on early Sunday morning, had suffered from dehydration and died before he could be provided any medical assistance. Till Saturday night, seven children had died in Dawood Challi and one death was reported in Awami Colony.
According to the relatives of the deceased, all the victims had been complaining about pain in stomach. They were initially taken to private clinics. Later, their conditions deteriorated and they succumbed to the ailment.
Although doctors claimed that the victims who died were not brought to any of the government healthcare facilities, the deaths were confirmed by town officials and a labour councillor, Haji M.Z. Khan.
Till Sunday, the official figure of those reporting to hospitals reached 850. While unofficial figure was much higher, area people said, adding that more than 300 people reported to hospitals on Sunday only.
At the town dispensary in Landhi, where an emergency camp has been set up, a total of 650 cases were brought on Saturday with complaints of gripping pain, abdominal pain and vomiting with diarrhoea.
At the Sindh Social Security Institution hospital, a total of 350 patients were admitted for gastroenteritis during the last two days, and more than 100 children are still under treatment at the facility. However, none of them is stated to be in serious condition.
Edhi sources said that around 70 to 80 more patients were rushed to the Sindh Government Hospital, Korangi.
Social workers in Dawood Challi blamed the town administration and the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board for not making proper arrangements for ensuring safe drinking water to them. They demanded replacement of obsolete water supply lines, and sought an inquiry into the matter.
WATER TESTING: A number of water samples collected from different places in the affected locality has been sent to laboratories for chemical examination.
Reports of stool culture tests of patients were also awaited, said the town health officer of Landhi, adding that he expects the first report on Monday.
SURVERY ORDERED: The caretaker of city government, Fazalur Rahman, has ordered immediate survey of all sewerage lines in Landhi to check the source of contamination.
The caretaker, who was presiding over a meeting at Landhi Town on late Saturday night, ordered immediate replacement and repair of defective sewerage lines on war footing. The meeting was attended by Landhi town caretaker Mohammad Nazeer Lakhani, MPA Talib Imam and officials of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board.
INQUIRY: Sindh Health Minister Shabbir Ahmed Qaimkhani visited various health centres in the affected areas and expressed sympathies with the people suffering from gastroenteritis.
The minister ordered a high-level inquiry and said that those found responsible would be taken to task. He also ordered an inquiry against a private hospital, which delayed the cases and did not refer them to government hospitals.
The newly-elected nazim of UC-III, Abdullah Raja Khel, informed the minister that the Landhi hospital administration remained busy in collecting money from patients and did not inform government functionaries about the outbreak of the epidemic.
TANKER SUPPLY: Pakistan Rangers Sindh claimed that it supplied 21,000 and 33,000 gallons of drinking water on Saturday and Sunday respectively to Awami Colony and its adjacent areas.
