KARACHI: More than 4,000 babies are born in relief camps of flood victims in less than two months fanning concerns of health experts and officials who see these children as the most vulnerable segment of the displaced people in view of the fast approaching winter.

Data compiled by the provincial administration and health department suggests that between September 9 and October 31, a total of 4,118 women gave birth while a large number of these women were facing malnutrition and other health complications.

“Apart from these 4,118 births in flood relief camps, there are 4,191 lactating mothers which took the number of persons at high risk due to approaching winter to over 8,000,” said an official citing the data.

“By November 1, there were a total of 6,311 flood-hit pregnant women in different relief camps across the province. Among them 1,704 are at the first trimester, 2,763 at second one and 1,844 are at the third trimester of their pregnancies. Now the challenge is safe pregnancy and delivery of these babies. With overall challenging health conditions, these segments of flood victims are at higher risk in view of fast approaching winter.”

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Over 4,000 mothers face healthcare challenge after giving birth in camps in two months

Dr Saqib Ansari, director health of Alkhidmat Karachi, which is actively involved in providing medical care in flood-hit areas with a number of healthcare facilities and professionals, sees malnutrition as a widespread problem causing more complications in pregnant women and newborns.

“We need to keep in mind that they [pregnant women] are under a third extreme stress within a short period of time in their lives,” he said.

“First they are already pregnant and then came the devastating floods, which have ruined their lives and finally they are in relief camps far from their homes and farmland. The situation is quite complex and we see them in already compromised conditions.”

The healthcare experts and those volunteering their services in affected areas believe that it is an alarming situation in the flood-affected areas as hundreds and thousands of flood victims are often forced to live under the open sky and grapple with disease.

The provincial government and healthcare administration claim that they have realised the sensitivity of the situation, which has pushed them into action.

“The approaching winter is definitely challenging, especially for newborns and their mothers,” said Qasim Soomro, a Member of the Provincial Assembly and parliamentary secretary health.

“To address these challenges, we have devised a strategy and are about to start work on it. With the help of data and available resources, we would mobilise our teams for an immediate supply of winter protection stuff that include warm clothing for newborns and other necessary goods.”

Responding to a query about arrangements for those babies born with complications, he admitted malnutrition as a key issue among them saying that the government had made enhanced arrangements at all public hospitals in the affected areas and they were accommodating each and every child and mother with any complaint.

“Similarly, there are also a moderate number of pregnant women still in flood-hit areas, who have not moved to the camps. For them the health department has deployed midwives and put in place all necessary arrangements,” Mr Soomro claimed.

Published in Dawn, November 10th, 2022