DADU, Jan 9: Health EDO Dr Maula Bux Jamali has said that 119 patients of skin disease leishmania have turned up at different government health centres of the district this month.

He was speaking at a press conference in his office here on Friday about the outbreak of the disease which had inflicted thousands of people in the district in 2002.

He said that to provide medicines to the patients, the health department had established camps at different basic health units, including those in Kamal Khan, Wahi Pandhi, Sehwan, Jhangara, Bajara, Bubak, Faridabad, Gozo, Qasbo, Burira, Chhor, Pario Jamali, Murad Jamali, Drigh Bala, Haji Khan Saeedpur, Radhan and Faridabad.

The EDO said that a large quantity of Glucantime injections had been made available at the BHUs and claimed that the chronic patients were being provided medicines at their houses through the BHU officials.

He said that 12 mobile teams of doctors had been constituted for treating the patients in Kachho and Kohistan and the hilly areas of the district. He clarified that the disease was not contagious but was spreading due to the bite of sand fly and added that for the eradication of the insect, a spray would be carried out throughout the district.

Dr Qurban Ali Soomro of the Johihospital appealed to the oil and gas companies, working in Dadu district, and the WHO and Unicef to provide medicinesfor the treatment of leishmania.

Civil surgeon Dr Javed Ahmed Dawach said that the only skin specialist at the Dadu Civil Hospital had been transferred five days ago and a senior medical officer was treating the patients.