Rise in rabies deaths result of corrupt Wadera rule: Altaf Shakoor

Karachi:      Rising rabies deaths in Sindh due to acute shortage of dog-bite vaccine are the result of prevailing corrupt Wadera rule in this neglected province, which is busy in looting the taxpayers’ money instead of resolving the basic issues of people, said Pasban Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman Altaf Shakoor here Wednesday.

He said today our heads hang in shame, as a 10-years-old Mir Hassan Abro of district Shikarpur died a painful death in the lap of his mother outside the office of Commissioner Larkana. This innocent child died only because he was not provided vaccine timely after he was bitten by a dog. He asked if the rulers, ministers and bureaucrats of Sindh province have no children of their own, as they are not feeling the pain of poor mothers whose children die miserably due to lack of a simple vaccine in Sindh.

Altaf Shakoor said we are an atomic nation, but we still have no facility to produce even a dog-bite vaccine in our country. He said what is the purpose of our medical universities and higher research institutes if we have still to import even dog-bite vaccine from other countries. He said a vaccine research center at Sakrand in district Benazirabad is at the verge of closure as the rulers are neglecting it badly. He said instead of patronizing research culture in healthcare, our rulers have made the Sindh health department a den of filthy corrupt people.

He said the painful death of innocent child Mir Hassam Abro is a slap across the face of Sindh government, which is interested in buying helicopters and luxury cars instead of providing basic healthcare facilities in government hospitals. He asked in whose pockets the billions of the health department budget of Sindh province actually go. He said at least the corrupt rulers should have spared the healthcare budget, considering the plights of poor patients of the province. He said it is regrettable that the lion’s share of our budget is devoured by the corruption mafia sitting in the corridors of power.

Altaf Shakoor demanded to open at least one teaching hospital in every district of Sindh province. He said round o clock emergency surgery, ICU and trauma management facilities should be readily available at least in all district headquarters hospitals. He said life-saving drugs and vaccines should be available at every hospital, dispensary and basic health unit in Sindh to save precious lives.

He said the painful death of Mir Hassan Abro has exposed the real face of Sindh health department. He said a few days ago a poor man of Bheel community along with his brother died in Mirpurkhas, when he was carrying the dead body of his child on a motorcycle because they were denied the facility of ambulance

Altaf Shakoor advised the chief minister of Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah to sell the helicopter and fleet of luxury cars of the CM House to buy dog-bite vaccines for the government hospitals of Sindh. He said if the rulers of Sindh reduce their corruption by just 5percent, thousands of innocent lives of poor people could be saved that are now being lost due to non-availability of medicines and facilities in the government hospitals. He said the cup of patience of the poor people of Sindh is now filled up to brim and it is in the interest of the rulers to take heeds before waiting for the results of coming elections.