KARACHI: Plagued by extreme poverty and mass illiteracy, the Sheedi Goth area in Malir district has all the ingredients for a simmering health crisis that can erupt anytime, it emerged on Saturday.

The village, part of the union council Darsano Channo of Gadap town, has recently been in the spotlight due to an outbreak of gastroenteritis, affecting hundreds of residents.

Officials have blamed contaminated water being used by the residents responsible for the disease outbreak, though they are yet to identify the causative agent(s).

A recent visit to the Memon Goth Government Hospital, the largest public-sector tertiary-care facility in the area, showed that the number of patients has declined drastically for now, but 15 to 20 patients are still reporting with complaints of stomach/abdominal cramps, diarrhoea and vomiting at the emergency department.

Area hospital receives scores of patients complaining of stomach pain, vomiting on a daily basis

According to hospital officials, the total number of patients who reported at the hospital from June 28 till July 7 was around 500.

‘Unrecorded deaths’

Contrary to the provincial health department’s data, which has only one death on record, villagers say at least four people, including an infant, have died during the disease outbreak.

The health crisis in the village, information gathered from different sources showed, started developing around June 23-24, but got serious three days later on June 27 when mortalities occurred one after another.

The first victim was Abida in her late 20s, who died on June 27. Nathi in her late 40s passed away the next day. Umme Aisha, aged 15 months, daughter of Mohammad Hanif, passed away on June 29. The last casualty occurred on July 2; Naseema, wife of Faiz Mohammad.

Recalling his mother’s tragic death on June 28, Dildar, a young labourer residing in Khaskheli Mohalla, said that his mother Nathi complained of severe stomach cramps after returning home from Memon Goth where she was employed as a housemaid.

“We took her to a local doctor but she couldn’t find any relief,” he said, adding that her mother had severe diarrhoea in the following morning and was taken to the Memon Goth Hospital.

“She died there the same day. She had no other major illness. My infant daughter and another relative also fell ill [during the outbreak] but recovered.”

Barely earning enough to feed his family, Dildar now has to look after his three young siblings as well after the passing away of his mother.

In Lemani Mohalla, Younus, an old man in his 70s, narrated that her infant granddaughter was admitted to the Memon Goth Hospital with complaints of diarrhoea and fever on Eid day.

“Her diarrheal condition temporarily improved after getting drips. But, she developed high fever and seizures and passed away the next day,” he recounted, while sharing that most villagers were too poor to afford two-time meal for their family.

“Often, we don’t have a meal for the next day at all. Large tracts of agricultural land have disappeared, leaving us without employment and food.” he said.

Simmering crisis

While the outbreak seems to be over for the time being, the village with some 4,000 population confronts serious issues that need to be taken care of on immediate grounds.

None of the villagers Dawn spoke to have so far been visited by any health department official. They also denied having received any public health awareness sessions on the outbreak as claimed by the department.

The vast majority of people, including children, are illiterate with no basic education on health and hygiene, and are hooked to gutka.

“They don’t boil water at all. This practice has a lot to do with their poverty as well as lack of education. People like us use groundwater for drinking purposes as it has been tested safe,” local social activist Habib Zaib shared, adding that poverty had increased in the area after vast tracts of agricultural land had been sold out for commercial and residential purposes.

As for the disease outbreak, he said the situation improved after the local municipality got the underground water tanks cleaned.

“If the three local tanks are properly cleaned on time, I don’t think a public health crisis would be seen here,” he said, adding that over 200 people fell ill while two died in 2019 due to contaminated water.

At the Memon Goth Hospital, doctors stated that the authorities were waiting for the detailed laboratory reports which would help identify the causative agent/s.

Published in Dawn, July 9th, 2023