KARACHI: The situation of Tharparkar needs to be looked in its true perspective while taking into account the problems faced by the people of the district, said Sindh Minister for Women Development and Special Education Rubina Qaimkhani.
She led a group of journalists from Karachi to Tharparkar district on a two-day visit to let them take cognisance of the truth about drought-like situation and the deaths of newborns, and how the government is striving to deal with these challenges.
During the visit the journalists were apprised that the government has taken various measures for the rehabilitation of the people of Tharparkar. However, the lack of communication networks in over 19,000 square kilometres Tharparkar district has been hindering the achievement of the desired results in relation to rehabilitation of the population of the desert.
The Minister told the media persons that the provincial government has distributed 500,000 wheat bags among 2,60,000 affected families so far and this process is still continuing.
She informed that RO plants are being installed in the district to ensure the supply of clean drinking water to the people of the desert.
Rubina Qaimkhani further said over 56,000 children and more than 26,000 mothers have undergone screening under the primary health-care programme, so that the complications which emerge due to malnutrition could be avoided.
She further said 38,00,000 cattle-heads have been vaccinated in the district so far.
The provincial minister also presided over a meeting of the officials of government organisations and the representatives of the NGOs which are working in Thar. She also visited Civil Hospital Mithi and Civil Hospital Nangarparkar where she announced the establishment of vocational training centres and distribution of sewing machines among women.
Talking to the APP, she said that the biggest problem faced by the people of Thar is clean drinking water, and to solve this issue, the government has been installing RO plants in the past years, while 750 more RO plants, to be operated through solar energy, are being installed. These plants will ensure free of cost supply of potable water to 90 per cent population of Thar, she informed.
She further said that the Women Development Department and a social welfare organisation are facilitating the digging of 100 wells.
The Minister said that the protection to the life and property of the masses is the responsibility of the government, adding that the Pakistan Peoples Party's government in the past six years constructed 400 kilometres of roads and provided new electricity connections, while the maximum number of cards under the Benazir Income Support Programme were also distributed in Thar.
During the visit to Mithi Civil Hospital, Dr. Mohan Lal Khatri apprised that the deaths of newborns is the result of mothers' malnutrition and poor health and to prevent health related complications from being transferred into children, the mothers have to be taken care of. Therefore, awareness needs to be created with regard to primary health care to prevent children's deaths.
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