Villagers decry govt inaction, say outbreak ignored due to rural location
HYDERABAD:
A four-year-old girl suffering from measles passed away in the village of Qadir Bux Solangi near Husri town this week, raising the death toll to 13 children across three villages in Hyderabad division in the past few weeks.
The latest victim, identified as Fiza, daughter of Pyar Ali Solangi, had been battling the disease for the past week and was in critical condition, according to her family. This marks the fifth child to die of measles in Qadir Bux Solangi village in the past five days alone. Several more children in the area remain infected, with many reportedly in serious condition.
Despite the alarming spread of the preventable disease, residents say the health department has yet to implement any meaningful intervention in the village. “If this was happening in a big city, there would be wall-to-wall media coverage and pressure from politicians and activists,” said one local resident. “But because we are from a rural area, our children’s lives don’t seem to matter.”
Villagers have accused the health department of negligence, stating that no vaccination teams visited the area before the outbreak and even now, the response has been limited and insufficient. A health department team only visited the area after several deaths were reported on social media.
Earlier, four children died in Goth Allah Bux Brohi and six in Goth Bachal Shoro due to the same outbreak. The villagers have renewed their appeal to the Chief Minister of Sindh and Chief Secretary to take immediate notice and launch an emergency vaccination drive in all affected areas.
News published in the Express Tribune on 28th April 2025