SUKKUR – Sindh Health Department Wednesday disclosed that currently over 0.251 million people from flood-affected areas are suffering from different diseases as the floodwater swept through historic city of Amrijo-Daro and also damaged suburban areas of Sehwan Sharif.
The World Health Organisation and Sindh Government have been cautioned for possible emergence of ‘epidemic diseases’ in flood affectees especially the children.
Underlining the need for coordinated efforts for providing medical services, potable water and sanitation facilities to flood affectees, the Sindh government and WHO decided to initiate joint operations to cope with possible emergence of epidemics. Keeping in view the emergence of diseases, the Sindh government had taken a decision to suspend the educational activities of medical universities and house-job doctors to send them to relief camps for treatment of flood affectees.
A senior official of Sindh government who remained part of the meetings of government to cope with epidemic diseases told TheNation that WHO and other organisations had cautioned for possible emergence of epidemics among the flood affectees.
An official privy to a meeting chaired by Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah at Sukkur Circuit House on Wednesday, said that Sindh government had decided to summon the specialists of various diseases at Sukkur to help the doctors at medical camps. Sindh Health Minister Dr Sagheer Ahmed, NDMA officials and representatives from WHO, UNICEF and other international organisations, who are in Sukkur to assess the affects of flood devastation, also attended the meeting.
The meeting was informed that the number of flood affectees had increased to over 4 million in Sindh so far, out of which a huge number of one million people could fall victim to epidemic diseases such as gastro, diarrhoea and skin diseases due to lack of clean drinking water, toilets facilities, sanitation and other necessities.
In this regard, Advisor to CM for Information Department Jameel Ahmed Soomro told TheNation that in Sindh number of displaced people reached 4 million so far, and problems were on the rise while threat of more floods is still there.
Besides, ensuring the availability of Army doctors, all the male and female medical students and house-job doctors from medical universities are to be summoned at medical camps to assist doctors in relief camps for flood affectees, Jameel Soomro said, adding that educational activities of these medical students would be suspended for 1 to 3 months immediately.
Meanwhile, Director General Health of Sindh Ghulam Sarwar Channa has said that out of total displaced people, who are staying in relief camps, a huge number of 0.251 million people have fallen ill, while majority of patients are children.
Meanwhile, the devastation of floodwater continued in Sindh now swelling towards new cities and villages of Jacobabad, Dadu, Shikarpur, Qambar-Shahdadkot and other areas of Sindh have been inundated. The breach in Indus River at Tori embankment inundated more areas in Jacobabad district.
PPP MPA Ghulam Muhammad Shohliani, who elected from Garhi Khero alleged that Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah and Sindh Irrigation Minister Jam Saifullah Dharejo are responsible for inundation of his electoral constituency and adjoining areas.
He demanded that President Asif Zardari should remove Sindh Chief Minister and Irrigation Minister Jam Saifullah Dharejo. He also blamed Federal Minister Mir Aijaz Jakhrani for diverting Begari Canal floodwater to his electoral constituency.
While, Advisor to CM for Information Department Jameel Ahmed Soomro rejected allegations against Sindh CM levelled by his own party MPA Ghulam Muhammad Shohliani and said that the MPA failed in performing his duty to monitor the embankments of canals and thatÂ’s why he is levelling baseless allegations against Sindh CM.
However, floodwater is posing threat to Sehwan city and raging flood inundated the historic sites of Amrijo-Daro, having 5,000-year-old archaeological history.
Meanwhile, the migration of people from Qubo Saeed Khan, Shahdadkot and other areas under fear of floodwater is going on.
Agencies add: Floodwater has swept through the ancient Indus Valley city of Amrijo-Daro located in Dadu District of Sindh and also started causing damage to Sehwan Sharif.
Amrijo-Daro is the site of a pre-Harappa fortified town which flourished from 3600 to 3300 BC. Amrijo-Daro Museum, which is believed to be more ancient than the famous city, Mohenjodaro, has been devastated by the deluge, reported a private news channel on Wednesday.
In addition, floodwater has started causing damage to another historic city of Sehwan Sharif located in the Jamshoro District of Sindh.
In Jamshoro, several villages and surrounding katcha areas have come under water as thousands of people head to Kotri for safety.
It is being feared that the torrent could also affect Manjhand Tehsil of Jamshoro. The flood continues to wreak havoc from Guddu Barrage to Sehwan Sharif. Besides, Amri, Wada Chachar, Hydear Khan Rind and Laki Shah Saddar areas of Sehwan Sharif have been submerged in water.
It has also affected the historical place of Lal Bagh and a century-old village Goth Sher Khan Solangi, demolishing hundreds of houses.