LARKANA, March 15: A team of doctors led by Dr Mohammed Arif Munir, director, Malaria Control Programme (MCP), ministry of health, Islamabad, on Friday visited Taluka headquarters hospital, Warah, to assess the situation created due to the spread of leishmanisis in Larkana district.

Two teams of doctors from Dadu and Larkana undertook the studies at the centre and checked around 200 cases of the skin disease by introducing local lesion treatment in addition to earlier scheme of treating patients with 14 injections.

Talking to Dawn Dr Arif Munir said so far the WHO had supplied medicines sufficient for 8000 patients and added if needed spray would be carried out to kill the sand fly causing these skin lesions.

Dr Thakur Das, the Taluka health

officer, Warah, told this scribe that around 3000 positive cases of leishmanisis had been registered with this hospital and disclosed that majority of the cases were pouring in from Kasho (the mountainous belt) located close to Balochistan.

He said villages Junani Bangla, Sahib Khan Tunio, Jehan Khan Marfani, Lar, Ahmed Tunia, Hamal, Warah, Nasirabad city, Gul Buriro, Aadho Khan Lashari, Karyo Sabar Khan, Garhi Makoro, Budapur, Survayer Lashari, Ali Gul Gadhi and Lakha were affected from the disease.

The 85 per cent population of Union council Mirpur and 40 per cent population of Gaji Khuhawar and Khandu union councils was affected from the disease. He added that lack of health facilities and little awareness about the disease were responsible for the spread Leishmanisis.

Manzoor Chandio the Nazim of Warah said the cases were on the rise in the area and only in Nasirabad 300 cases of leishmanisis were found.

Dr Safiullah Abbasi, medical superintendent of Nasirabad hospital, said

that frequent migrations from Balochistan and its adjoining areas were responsible for the eruption of the

disease in this belt.

Dr Shanwaz Shaikh from Shahdadkot told Dawn that the population of Shahdadkot town, Qubo Saeed Khan, and their suburbs were affected from the disease. He added that 300 positive cases were found in villages Katchipul, Tangra, Ahmed Nawaz Hasrani, Habiat Magsi, Niaz Ahmed Khoso, Sufi Mohammed Bakhsh, Mohammed Saleh Magsi and Mirpur Buriro in Shahdadkot sub-division.

The Executive District Officer Health Dr Mohammed Sharif claimed that only 100 cases were reported at Warah hospital. He said the first case of leishmanisis was reported from Larkana in October 2001.