KAMRAN KHAMISO KHOWAJA
SUJAWAL
Poverty, ailment, low literacy rate, and lack of facilities have left residents of village Ali Muhammad Malah, near Amirji water channel in Taluka Jati of Sujawal district, with nothing.
The villagers claim that over the past couple of years, as many as 15 villagers have shown symptoms of Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C, known as Sahi and Kari Sahi in common parlance, while a 17-year-old girl, Yasmeen, reportedly died after these symptoms worsened. The ongoing state of affairs has shrouded the village in fear and uncertainty, leaving the poor villagers helpless.
Sharing their ordeal, a villager and former school teacher, Arab Malah, said that villagers have been showing serious symptoms, including vomiting, weakness, difficulty walking, and poor appetite. A three-year-old girl, Amina, was taken to a government hospital in Hyderabad for treatment, but her parents couldn’t afford the expenses and left treatment halfway.
When asked, Muhammad Achar Malah alleged that government hospitals in Sujawal district were not sufficiently equipped and lacked the capacity to treat hepatitis patients.
“The fear of this disease is more threatening to the villagers than the disease itself,” said Walhar Malah, a villager, while wiping away tears.
Dr. Farooq Chandio, District Health Officer Sujawal, claimed that hospitals had all the facilities to deal with any medical emergency.
The villagers urged the Chief Minister of Sindh and the Health Minister of the province to take measures for proper diagnosis and treatment of villagers to save their lives.
