DADU, Dec 16: A large number of people of Savaro and TR Khan union councils in Johi taluka and Muradabad Union Council in Dadu taluka have been severely affected by a skin disease, known as cutaneous leishmaniasis.

During a visit to the affected villages, this correspondent found that the health department had not taken any preventive measure to control the outbreak of the disease. Doctors of private and government health centres said they were facing an acute shortage of injections and medicines.

They said if spray was not carried out to kill the vector sand fly more areas of the two talukas would be affected. Mai Mooran, wife of Hakeem Talpur, of Sher Mohammad Talpur village, said that about 15 children under the age of 10 years were infected in six days.

A villager, Kaloo Lund, said 25 children were infected with the disease and no team of government doctors had visited the Yar Mohammed Lund village. He said children in Shafi Mohammad Lund, Pat Suleman, Mohabat Qambrani and Abbas Lund villages were also suffereing from the disease.

The in-charge of the Wahi Pandhi health centre, Dr Ghulam Mustafa, said the disease had wreaked havoc in Soury, Bakhar Jamali, Dodo Birhamani, Pir Bux Lashari, Bahawal Babbar, Jam Babbar, Ali Hassan Jamali, Pario Jamali and Fazal Jamali villages.

Union Council TR Khan Nazim Aslam Jamali said people in Haji Khan Shahani, Murad Jamali, Bahleel Shah, Jaind Jamali, Mir Khan Jamali, Jumo Jamali, Shah Mohammad Jamali, Mohabbat Jamali and Khair Mohammad Malookani villages were also infected.

He said the disease was common in every family in these villages. He said two to three children of each family were infected with this disease. He said the health department was not providing medicines to the hospital.

He said even MNAs and MPAs had forgotten the people of their constituencies. He feared that if anti-sand fly spray was not started in the area, more population would be affected. The villagers said that the DCO Dadu and EDO health had not visited affected villages since the outbreak of skin disease.