KARACHI: Expressing serious concern over poor cleanliness conditions in Karachi, Pasban Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman Altaf Shakoor here Sunday said that garbage heaps and overflowing gutters are spreading viral, fungal and bacterial infections in the megacity at an alarmingly high rate.
He said almost every household has a patient or two suffering from various diseases, especially viral ones. He said emergency rooms of every government and private hospital are overcrowded. He said dengue fever and other vector diseases are on the rise, but the government is not taking any action to mitigate the situation.
He said the poor people especially have to suffer a lot due to missed workdays besides bearing costs of doctors’ fees and medicines. He said the government hospitals have no sufficient medicine stock or manpower to cater the growing number of patients. He said special medical camps should be arranged in poor localities to help the patients and their families. He said children are especially suffering from these diseases due to their weak immunity.
Altaf Shakoor said municipal conditions in the whole megacity are very poor. Heaps of uncollected garbage, overflowing gutters and excessive dirt on roads due to road construction projects have made life miserable for the Karachiites, as all these factors are spreading germs and causing diseases. He said mosquitoes and houseflies are everywhere due to highly unhygienic conditions. He said the KMC, town and UC administrations are sitting idle instead of playing their due role to improve cleanliness.
Altaf Shakoor demanded from the government authorities to take notice of the situation. He asked the local government department minister, commissioner Karachi and city mayor to wake up from the deep slumber and discharge their duties with a sense of emergency to help the poor people suffering from diseases. They should ensure proper collection of garbage and repair of choked gutter lines. He demanded from the health minister to ensure proper supply of medicines to government hospitals and arrange evening OPDs in them also to cater the growing number of patients. He demanded of the Sindh chief minister to take stock of this pathetic situation and do the needful. He said the PDP has been demanding since long to establish freestanding emergency rooms in different parts of the megacity to reduce the patient burden in main hospitals of the megacity.
