Govt providing sufficient healthcare in Thar: CM Sindh

- Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah on Wednesday said that Sindh government was unnecessarily being criticized over the infant death issue in Thar despite the fact that his government provided sufficient health facilities in Tharparkar district.

This he said while addressing members of Sindh High Court Bar Association (SHCBA) at new building of Sindh High Court.

He said that Sindh government had been providing wheat to affected families of the Thar for the last five years while one bag of wheat was being given to each family on monthly basis free of cost. "Over 1.6 population of Thar has taken the benefit of this programme," he said.

The chief minister said that his government had installed 400 Reverse Osmosis (RO) plants in Thar, adding that one plant was supplying sweet drinking water to 10,000 people.

He announced that 400 more RO plants would be installed there by the end of this year through which drinking water would be supplied to 1 million to 1.6 million people.

He claimed that best healthcare facilities were provided to the Mithi district headquarters hospital with air-conditioned rooms and 24 incubators, which were not even available in Karachi in such a large number. Besides, he said, mobile dispensaries were also provided while 49 basic health units were set-up, which were providing health facilities round the clock. He announced a grant of Rs 10 million for the SHCBA. He also promised to resolve the issue of imposition of Services Tax on the lawyers.