Coastal area without health amenties, water

SHAFI BALOCH

KARACHI - Coastal areas of Karachi, which is the stronghold of the Pakistan People Party, is deprived of the basic facilities, says a survey.
During last the general election, all PPP's candidates won the election in fishing locality. "We are supporters of the PPP. We have been casting our votes for the PPP' candidates since its formation," said Dad Baksh, a fisherman of Mubarak Village, while talking to this scribe.
He complained that the government had not taken any concrete step towards developing their village into a model village despite making a pledge to do so. The Sindh government had announced in October 2009 that it would develop Mubarak Village, which is located along the western coastal side of Karachi, into a model village having all basic facilities of life.
However, he complained that the government had not taken any practical step to fulfil their long-standing demands.
According a survey, several fishermen's villages in Keamari Town have been facing numerous problems including lack of civic amenities for long time. These villages situated near the sea shore of Arabian Sea have been neglected for years due to apathy on the part of civic agencies.
Haji Daraya Khan Goth, Moosa Goth, Haji Faizo Goth, Haji Juma Goth, Pub Faqir Goth, Manjar Goth, Sukkur Goth and Mubarak village of Deh Mann and others are among the more affected ones.
The above-declared villages lack in water supply and electricity, health and education facilities, causing tremendous problems for their residents. They are compelled to live as wretched of the earth, having seldom hope of salvation. .
It is learnt that in October 2009 Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah visited the Mubarak village and handed down ownership rights and lease documents to some residents of the village, announcing that that the village would be developed into a model village where fishermen would enjoy all basic facilities.
However, the fishermen regretted that despite the chief minister's announcement, no officials concerned had paid any visit to the village. They said that it had yet to be confirmed whether they had prepared any plan in this regard or not.
A vast majority of villagers live in abject poverty and nearly 95 per cent of the population mainly depend on small-scale fishing. The fishermen complain that they have been facing a lot of problems in unloading fish catch because there is no any jetty facility.
Mostly these fishermen transport their catch to the Karachi Fish Harbour for auction and they have to sell their catch to middle men at throwaway prices.
There are 100 large boats in Mubarak village, which travel up to Gwadar and Pasni and about 300 small boats providing livelihood to these small fishermen, the survey shows. Talking to this scribe, the fishermen demanded immediate construction of a small jetty at the Mubarak Village.
They complained that availability of potable water was the most pressing problem for them. At present water is being supplied to these villages through tankers by the Union Council of Gabopat and the public health engineering department.
They said that the supply of water was not regular and insufficient. A majority of the people still depends on wells. In a number of villages, women and children have to walk long distances to fetch water from ponds. This water is usually contaminated and unfit for drinking and washing purposes. The villagers urged that a water supply scheme be launched by connecting the village with the water distribution system of the Hub Dam.
Villagers from Moosa Goth, Haji Faizu Goth, Haji Juma Goth and Sukku Goth also complained of lack of healthcare facilities and urged construction of maternity homes in these villages.

The writer is a staff member of 'The Nation'. www.nation.com.pk

Shortage of infertility centres hits desperate couple

AMRAIZ KHAN

LAHORE - About eight per cent population of the country is facing infertility issues, while 90 per cent causes of the disease are curable and only 10 percent are complicated.
These views were expressed by In-charge Assisted Conception Unit (ACU) Dr Salman Ahmed Imtiaz in an interview with The Nation on Friday.
Assisted Conception Unit In-charge Dr Salman Ahmed said ACU was the only infertility centre in Pakistan, which is running under the Punjab government at Services Hospital. He was of the view that infertility rate was increasing alarmingly in the country but unfortunately there were no enough infertility centres in Pakistan to provide medical facility to the infertile couples.
Dr Salman who is consultant obstetrician, gynaecologist, embryologist and infertility advisor at Services Hospital said that there are only three to four qualified embryologists in the City who are authorised to treat the infertile couples in accordance with the latest concepts called Assisted Reproductive Techniques like IUI (Intra Uterine Insemination) IVF (In Vitro Fertilisation) and ICSI (Intra Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection).
But unfortunately at present many doctors who are simply gynaecologists are engaged in exercising latest techniques on the infertile couples.
Dr Salman said reasons behind infertility in Pakistan are 40 per cent because of male, 40 percent because of female, 10 because of both and 10 per cent are unexplainable. He said 90 per cent diseases are curable while only 10 per cent are unexplainable.
In many cases youngsters feel shy to contact a qualified doctor and resultantly they are trapped in the hands of quacks, hakeems and inexperienced practitioners for their treatment. And these very quacks treat them with heavy metals and steroids without going into their problems, resultantly these steroids damage not only their kidneys but also enhance their fertility problems. About the common problems of infertility in the male, he said there could be sperm productivity problem with males, or blockage in the sperm delivery system.
Moreover injury to testis, hormonal imbalance, anatomical problem, past infection specially mums, tuberculosis, diabetes, blood pressure and medicines of blood pressure and ulcer could cause infertility in males. Dr Salman was of the view that dietary habits, less exercise, smoking, drugs, steroids, alcohol and steam bath could also cause infertility like diseases in men. He said people performing hard duties like drivers and those who have to stay in sunshine during duties suffer with infertility.
I have treated more than 400 infertile couples and with the blessing of Almighty Allah they are now having their babies, some of them had to go through latest technologies like IUI, IVF and ICSI and some were treated normally.
ACU centre was inaugurated in Services Hospital in the year 2000 by then governor Punjab. Punjab government then planned to provide medical facility to the infertile couple on cheaper rates. Certain private circles who were running their private clinics in the market tried to create hindrance in the operation of the unit.
He said ACU is providing cheaper treatment to the people as compared to the private clinics running in the country. He said 20 to 30 infertile couples visit the unit daily for their treatment. He said consultancy fee is not being charged from the these people while nominal charges are taken from them on their different tests being carried out against heavy amounts in the private testing laboratories. He suggested the government to introduce more infertility centres in the country to provide better and cheaper health facilities to the infertile couples.
He also stressed upon the need to start public awareness campaign regarding infertility causes and precautionary measures countrywide and asked the infertile couples for the counselling with a qualified embryologist.

The writer is a Staff Reporter of daily 'The Nation'. www.nation.com.pk