Nine dead as gastro outbreak hits remote villages in hills

A severe gastroenteritis outbreak has claimed nine lives over the past ten days in the remote Kohistan region of Thano Bula Khan, Jamshoro. Dozens of others, including women and children, have been affected, with most receiving treatment at home due to the lack of medical facilities in the area.

The deceased, all residents of Goth Faiz Muhammad Barfat, were identified as: a 50-year-old woman (wife of Yar Muhammad), 24-year-old Mehr Ali (son of Muhammad Khan), one-year-old Sakhi Ladi (son of Muhammad Hassan), one-year-old Nazma (daughter of Fazaluddin), eight-year-old Abdul Majeed (son of Bashir Ahmed), six-year-old Waqas (son of Wakeel Ahmed), nine-year-old Haseena (daughter of Muhammad Hashim), 25-year-old Pareena (daughter of Hadi Bakhsh), and two-year-old Dua (daughter of Sabir).

Two mobile medical units from the Rehabilitation Department, along with teams from the District Health Office (DHO) Jamshoro and the Kohsar Welfare Trust were dispatched to the area.

Jamshoro DHO said the outbreak was caused by the consumption of contaminated water. “We have shut down the unsafe water supply, which has helped control the situation. We have checked more than 300 people – around 100 of them showing symptoms” he said.