According to the provincial health department, the first case of cholera was identified in Balochistan on April 17th and since then 2,856 cases and six deaths have been reported so far in the province.
A report, released by Geo News‘ Muhummad Ejaz Khan on the current crisis faced by Balochistan suggests that due to infection of cholera in the region, local health sources are rubbishing the official tally. They claim that at least two dozen people are dead due to the disease.
Senator Sarfraz Bugti shared a video of locals in which they can be seen protesting in the scorching heat. In the tweet, he urged the concerned authorities to take action.
It has been reported by the media outlet that residents of Dera Bugti (a district in Balochistan) are being forced to drink dirty water because of the unavailability of clean water. Last week, in the district six people, including women and very young children, died within hours of being infected with cholera.
Dr Muhammad Azam Bugti, the district health officer in Dera Bugti, revealed to the media outlet that local people and animals use the same water ponds for drinking, which has become a major cause of the epidemic.
“Over 85% of Balochistan’s population is deprived of clean drinking water,” he said. “This at a time when billions of rupees are being allocated every year for water supply schemes in the province”, he added.
Chief Minister (CM) Mir Abdul Quddus Bizenjo has directed the department of public health and Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif has also ordered emergency relief measures.
Several demonstrations this month were also held in Quetta and other areas of Dera Bugti to demand that the government provide clean drinking water. According to Geo, in the long run, the provincial government will need to set up a research cell to study the epidemic which has now firmly rooted itself in the province.
