MITHI: Amid tight security, former president and co-chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party Asif Ali Zardari visited the civil hospital, a reverse osmosis plant and a relief camp being run by a non-governmental organisation here on Friday.

At the reverse osmosis plant near the coal office, Mr Zardari issued directives to the officials concerned to make all reverse osmosis plants functional across the desert region to ensure provision of potable water to Tharis.

He said that if an RO plant was not working adequately or stopped working at all, it should be repaired on a war footing. Ongoing work on the installation of RO plants should be expedited to provide drinkable water to Tharis as soon as possible and help them get rid of waterborne diseases, he said.

The chief operating officer of the company installing RO plants, Irshad Hussain, briefed Mr Zardari about the RO plant and said the plant near the coal office had a capacity to provide 75,000 gallons of water, sufficient for a population of 25,000 to 30,000. A total of 48 plants were functioning across Thar and work on installation of 25 more plants would be completed soon, he said.

Mr Zardari earlier visited the civil hospital and inquired after patients’ health. He issued directives to the hospital management and doctors to ensure provision of better medical facilities to patients, particularly children and women, besides maintaining proper cleanliness at the hospital.

He also visited a medical camp being run by the Bahria Foundation of the Bahria Town near the civil hospital and was informed by its officials that the foundation had been rendering services in the sectors of education, health and RO plants.

Its four mobile medical units were working in Thar whereas it had sent a number of ailing children to Lahore for better treatment, said the officials.

The tight security measures for the former president led to a siege of the main bazaar near the civil hospital, causing a great deal of inconvenience to patients and their attendants who were not allowed to enter the hospital. Journalists were also stopped at the gate despite having entry passes issued by the security officials.

Mr Zardari was accompanied by Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Sindh Minister for Information Sharjil Inam Memon, Minister for Zakat and Ushr Dost Ali Rahoomo, Murad Ali Shah, Syed Ali Mardan Shah, MNA Faqir Sher Mohammad Bilalani, MPAs Dr Mahesh Kumar Malani, Nawab Taimoor Talpur, Taj Haider, Mirpurkhas division Commissioner Sajid Jamal Abro, DIG Mohammad Amin Yusafzai, Deputy Commissioner Tharparkar Asif Akram and other officials.