At least nine more infants died due to malnutrition and outbreak of the various diseases in Thar district of Pakistan's Sindh province during the last two days, taking the toll to 476 this year.
With the death of nine more children, the toll rose to 476 during past 12 months of the outgoing year, Dawn quoted health officials as saying. However, according to the unofficial details gathered from various independent sources, the toll rose to 606 this year.
The health officials, however, were not sure if the more than than 690 children who were referred to hospitals in Hyderabad and Karachi died or survived.
District Health Officer Chandal Lal claimed that sincere efforts were being made to provide maximum facilities in all the health units of the district. He held early-age marriages responsible for most of the deaths.
Another official Shaikh Tanweer Ahmed urged the government to focus on the nutrition of children and pregnant women in Thar to avoid more fatalities in the vulnerable region.
Member of National Assembly from Thar Ramesh Kumar Vankwani flayed Sindh government for its alleged apathy over the unabated deaths of the kids.
He claimed that most of health units and the dispensaries in the remote villages of the desert were still lying closed despite the tall claims of Sindh government.
He said that over 2,000 children had lost their lives during past three years but the functionaries were least bothered to overhaul the healthcare system in the province.
--IANS
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