HYDERABAD: At least 20 children have fallen prey to measles outbreak in Mithoo Jogi and adjoining areas of Kunri taluka during the past 20 days. People of the areas have demanded the Sindh Health Department and authorities concerned to launch a comprehensive vaccination drive to cope with the situation.
They also demanded an action against health officials for their alleged failure to start the vaccination drive.
According to details, nine children in Mithoo Gypsy settlement near Sabhri village of Kunri taluka, while 11 children in other parts of the district have lost lives due to the outbreak.
Following the deaths, the Health Department has established three-day camps in affected areas while severe ailing kids have been shifted to Civil Hospital Umerkot.
Dr Ali Nawaz Shahani, a senior retired medical practitioner in Umerkot, said patients should be provided supplementary treatment to maintain their immune power. “In case of failure, secondary infections such as pneumonia and high-grade fever could kill affected children,” he warned.
He said that a comprehensive vaccination drive should be launched in villages, while ailing children should be kept in isolation to save others. He feared that reason behind deaths might be traditional healing methods.
Sindh Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) Additional Project Director Dr Zulfiqar Abro said that disease was spread by droplet infection, and the areas where vaccination cover was low or poor were more prone to it. He vowed stern action against those responsible in this regard. Umerkot District Health Officer Karmoon Mal had confirmed six deaths and confessed that the Health Department had not vaccinated children properly.
Published in Daily Times, September 30th 2017.
