DADU, Dec 13: Equipment, medicines will be provided to hospitals in Dadu district and loans will also be given to the poor people to help combat disease and poverty, the medical in charge of the World Health Organization for Pakistan, Dr M. Asai Ardkani, said on Friday.

He was speaking at a meeting of WHO teams and officers of the district administration at the Civil Hospital here.

Dr Ardkani said that the WHO would assist the provincial government and the Dadu district administration to help eradicate fatal diseases and poverty, adding that furniture would also be provided to the local hospitals.

The WHO representative said that efforts would be made to eradicate diseases like TB, asthma, cutaneous leishmaniasis, and gastroenteritis from the district.

He said that five literacy centres would be established in the district while books and uniform would be provided to poor students of the district.

DCO Allah Ditto Shar informed the meeting that the district administration had made a comprehensive plan to eradicate diseases.

He said that more dispensaries, BHUs and health centres would be established in the western part of the district and medicines would be provided there, adding that the district administration had approved more water supply and road schemes for the drought- hit areas.

The DCO warned that the doctors, who fail to perform their duties in remote areas, would be dismissed from service.

EDO (health) Dr Khadim Hussain Lakhair said that every health centre in the district was being provided with anti-rabies vaccine and other medicines.

Meanwhile, a team comprising officials of the WHO and the Dadu health department visited the Arazi Health Centre Arazi, Jhangara, the taluka hospital, Sehwan, and the Dadu Civil Hospital.

The man incharge of the Dadu Civil Hospital’s OPD, the eye specialist and the gynaecologist were found to be absent from their posts. The EDO (health) issued show cause notices to them and has sent a report to the provincial secretary, health, the district Nazim for action.