Health dept apathetic to scabies epidemic at islands

KARACHI - Despite publishing of a news item in Daily The Nation about the spread of scabies in the islands of Karachi City, the provincial health ministry, EDO Health of CDGK and THO of Kemari Town did not take any notice in this regard. The disease has converted into an epidemic but the authorities of provincial and City governments didnt take any step to resolve the issue, the residents of Baba Island told The Nation on Thursday. They said that treatment and medicines was only provided to them by a NGO, 'Morning Hope, which established its free medical and treatment centre in Baba island few months back. The former UC-4 nazim of Baba Island, Muhammad Hanif, said that almost each and every house of the locality was affected by the disease. He said that sewage and filthy water of Lyari River, which brings all the waste and garbage of entire Karachi and drop into the Arabian Sea, is just near to the islands and this exercise is going on for the last many decades. Hanif said that due to the absence of treatment plant in Kemari Town, filthy and sewage water of Lyari River was polluting the part of Arabian Sea and our children take bath in the polluted sea due to which they caught skin and other diseases. This practice is continued in the area for the last many years and no one bothered to take notice but now the situation is turned worst, as it has converted into an epidemic, he said. The scabies has long roots in the islands and a comprehensive campaign would be required to eliminate this disease and the campaign cannot be launched without the help of provincial and city governments health institutions, he said. Hanif said that only one NGO 'Morning Hope which established free medical treatment centre in the Baba Island was working against this epidemic. Only the NGO is providing treatment and medicines to the patients otherwise there is no government institution so far came to help these poor residents of the island, he added. It may be noted that The Nation has carried a big story on this issue few days back titled Scabies, a nightmare for Karachi islanders, but the authorities concerned did not take any notice in this regard. Dr Altaf-ur-Rehman, appointed at the free medical treatment centre, told this scribe that some 60,000 people are the residents of these islands and living in dilapidated condition as far as the civic facilities are concerned. They live in extreme unhygienic condition and City government and Kemari Town administration did nothing regarding the cleanliness of the area due to which each and every house of Baba Island is affected due to skin diseases. Scabies is the most common among them as two to three people of a house had infected. He said that door-to-door campaign was needed to create awareness and guidance among the masses about the disease. The residents of Baba Island expressed annoyance that why the Skin Hospital, runs under provincial government, is considered as the best hospital regarding the treatment of skin diseases in the City as it did not take any initiative for setting-up a medical camp.