Threats of outbreak of water-borne diseases: PMA for utilising funding for provision of clean water

Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) has suggested the government to utilise local and foreign funding for provision of clean water, development of sewerage system and improvement of sanitation. Addressing a press conference here on Thursday, Dr Habib Soomro, General Secretary, PMA said there is a need of planning and appropriate action from the government to materialise this plan.
There are serious threats of outbreak of water-borne diseases in flood-hit areas of the country, which may prove fatal, he said. He said the government should utilise the received funds for providing basic healthcare facilities to the flood affected rural and urban population. Again for this purpose, the government should devise a long-term planning. Results would not be achieved very best a step in the right direction is required, he maintained.
He said the PMA is supplying medicine, food, clothes, water purification plants, mats crockery and kitchen utensils. Our main concerns are pregnant women, children and elderly people, he added. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Nighat Shah, General Secretary, Society of Obstetrician and Gynaecologist Pakistan (SO&GP) urged that all farmers should be encouraged to go back to their areas and restart sowing the next crop. She said that farmers should be provided with cash to support agricultural activities and others like gudda, chadar, takia, kitchen items, phawara, kudals, belcha and kulhari.
She stressed a dire need for massive investment in primary education. She suggested an emergency education programme for the affected persons with the help of national and international donor agencies. The natural calamity had exposed the federal and provincial governments that have failed to deliver basic things, she said. She said PMA and SO&GP are working with other societies for providing relief goods and medical support to the flood-hit masses in the country. She recalled the PMA branches all over the country, are helping the government to cope with natural calamity and trying to provide emergency health and obstetrical care with SOGP.
Throwing light on medical support to IDPs in Karachi, she said 5147 people were treated in Bin Qasim camp, 3720 in Gadap, 5297 in Keamari, 5250 in Gulshan-e-Iqbal and 1483 patients were treated in SITE relief camps. There are patients of diarrhoea, dysentery, ARI/cough, malaria, skin disease, eye infection, ear infection, snake bite, antenatal care, safe deliveries, post natal care, neonatal referrals, TT vaccination, post abortion care, new-born care and newborn resuscitation, she said.