CJP summons AG, health secy over disease outbreak in Balochistan

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\03\11\story_11-3-2010_pg7_19

CJP summons AG, health secy over disease outbreak in Balochistan

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry on Wednesday issued notices to the Balochistan advocate general (AG) and health secretary on March 22 over the outbreak of a deadly disease in a remote area of the province. The CJP issued the direction taking suo motu notice on the telecast of a video film about the miseries of children who have been affected by the disease, and the unavailability of its treatment. The CJP also directed the officials to submit a report on the matter. According to the report, the children of Lundi Khosa area near Dadar, a remote area of Balochistan, are suffering from a disease, which first affects their skin, causes blindness and then kills them. The CJP also directed the Balochistan health secretary to take a team of medical specialists to the area to investigate the disease and submit a report within 10 days, suggesting cure and remedial measures. He said Article 9 of the constitution guarantees the rights to life, adding that it is the responsibility of the state to provide healthcare and treatment to its citizens and protect them from health disease. staff report

 

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Re: CJP summons AG, health secy over disease outbreak in Balochistan

http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-n...-takes-suo-moto-notice-of-deadly-skin-disease

CJ takes suo moto notice of deadly skin disease
Published: March 11, 2010
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ISLAMABAD (APP) - Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry on Wednesday took suo moto notice of skin disease in Lundi Khosa near Dadardue, a backward area of Balochistan.
According to a press release, the disease directly affects skin and eyesight, and can also cause death. The decision came after the chief justice took notice of a report on aired by a private TV channel last week. ?The afflicted children pass through an agonising and painful experience and ultimately die, as no facility and treatment for the said disease is available in the area.?
The notices have been issued to the advocate general Balochistan and provisional secretary Health to appear before the court on March 23.
The secretary has also been directed to send a team of medical specialists to the area to investigate/diagnose the disease and submit a report within 10 days suggesting cure/remedial measures for treatment of the disease.
?Article 9 of the Constitution guarantees the rights to life, such as health care/medical treatment, and it is responsibility of the state to provide healthcare and treatment to its citizens and protect them from such crippling the health disease,? the press release stated.


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Re: CJP summons AG, health secy over disease outbreak in Balochistan

http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-n...ecial-kits-reach-from-London-for-skin-disease

Special kits reach from London for skin disease
Published: March 10, 2010
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QUETTA-Special kits have reached from London to Islamabad to take samples of mysterious skin disease in Lundi Khosa area of District Kachchi of Balochistan.
After reports appeared in media, Federal Ministry of Health had contacted Saint Johns Medical Institute of London for diagnosis of the disease.
Official sources said special kits which were not available in Pakistan have been sent by Saint Johns Medical Institute to Islamabad.
The sources said officials of Health Department government of Balochistan have
reached Islamabad to collect the special kits besides medicines and sun blocking agents that have been arranged by Federal Ministry of Health. They said samples of blood would be sent to London for further diagnosis.
It may be mentioned that many children have died and over a dozen others have been affected by the horrific skin disease in different parts of Dhadar area.

 

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Re: CJP summons AG, health secy over disease outbreak in Balochistan

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=228276

The news from Balochistan of around a dozen children suffering from a rare ? and almost invariably fatal ? skin disease that results in damage being caused by ultraviolet light highlights problems caused by ignorance and lack of awareness across our country. The illness is reported to be genetic in nature and largely a consequence of marriages between close relatives over a number of generations. Other serious sicknesses, including thalassaemia, are frequently the result of similar factors. So too is congenital deafness and deformities of the kind seen recently at Rehri Goth in Karachi.

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http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=135578

This is the thread for the incident in Rehri Goth - different symptoms, but same epidemiology (scattered illness in children), and also blamed on genetic defects.

 

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Re: CJP summons AG, health secy over disease outbreak in Balochistan

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=228213




PM takes notice of skin disorder in 7 kids of a family



Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Our correspondent

Islamabad: Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani has taken notice of the spread of skin disorder in seven children of a family living in a remote village of Balochistan.

On his instructions, Health Secretary Khushnood Akhtar Lashari deputed the ministry’s advisor, Dr. Fazeela Abbasi, to monitor this critical situation where children of tender ages are struggling with a debilitating skin disease called Xeroderma Pigmentosa, says an official press release.

Xeroderma Pigmentosa is a genetic skin disorder. Irreparable damage of cells occurs due to sunlight. Various skin tumours form, which eventually spread in body causing death. Cousin marriage practice is a major factor for the gene mutations and harnessing these mutated genes for this disease.

Dr. Fazeela Abbasi, who is also a practising skin specialist, immediately gave directions to the Director General Health Services, Quetta to manage the affectees as Xeroderma Pigmentosa patients. Detailed instructions about the management of these patients were released. Epidemic Investigation Cell, Provincial Health Directorate, Quetta was immediately instructed to depute a team of public health personnel along with a skin specialist to visit Landi Khosa village. They have prepared a report that reconfirms the diagnosis. Medicines including sun blocks, moisturises and antibiotics (oral, topical) are being sent to the provincial government.

Meanwhile, Dr. Fazeela Abbasi, is collaborating with University of Sussex, UK, to get the special culture media for preserving the skin samples of these affected children so that the diagnostic laboratory in Sussex University can do the genetic typing to confirm the diagnosis.

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http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect...rder-blood-samples-to-be-sent-to-uk-530-hh-07

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The children from Balochistan are thought to be suffering from the genetic ‘photosensitivity disorder’. This disease is not contagious and cannot spread from one person to another, but it is a life-threatening disorder and needs proper management because there is no treatment for it, according to Dr Fazeela Abbasi, the adviser to the ministry.

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Re: CJP summons AG, health secy over disease outbreak in Balochistan

http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-n...rious-disease-kills-hundreds-of-kids-in-Bolan

Mysterious disease kills hundreds of kids in Bolan
By: Bari Baloch | Published: March 06, 2010
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QUETTA ? A special team of Balochistan Health Department has admitted that no successful treatment was given in the past to the children, suffering from a fatal skin disease in Bolan and Kachchi.
Many children have died and over a dozen others have been affected by the mysterious skin disease in different parts of Dhadar area of Bolan.
People of the area told media teams that disease infliction was brought to the notice of authorities concerned in 1993 but no serious step had so far been taken for its prevention or treatment.
Nasir Ali Baloch, head of an NGO, stated that due to negligence of Health Department, hundreds of children had lost their lives. ?Over a dozen children are still suffering from the disease and condition of five of them is serious?, he added.
Following news reports about the disease, Chief Minister Balochistan has taken notice of miseries of people, and medical teams were dispatched to the area to prepare a report.
There are different reports about the mysterious disease, however, according to local people the disease continued to grip the area for the last 40 years, and so far it had claimed hundreds of children?s lives.
According to skin specialists, it is a hereditary disease and the people of the area have been advised to avoid marriages with their close relatives.
On the other hand, people in the area do not agree with the notion of doctors. They accuse authorities concerned of not paying serious attention towards this disease

 

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: CJP summons AG, health secy over disease outbreak in Balochistan

PM takes notice of mysterious skin disease in Balochistan
ISLAMABAD, Jul 12 (APP): Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani has directed the Ministry of Health to immediately send a team of officials and doctors to village Lundi Khosa (Kichhi) in Balochistan to investigate and submit report about the mysterious disease in the village. The Prime Minister took note of the spread of the disease through a news report on a private TV Channel and was greatly perturbed to see the condition of patients suffering from the skin disease. The Prime Minister also directed the Ministry of Health to conduct research and diagnose the disease and its cure for treatment of the patients.

http://www.app.com.pk/en_/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=109079&Itemid=2

Strengthening of state institutions key to progress: Kaira
ISLAMABAD, Jul 12 (APP): Minister for Information and Broadcasting Qamar Zaman Kaira on Monday said that due to diversions from the basic principles of Pakistan?s creation, democracy could not flourish in the country and the state institutions could not gain the strength.

Talking to a private television channel the Minister said that keeping the popular political leadership away from the state affairs was another reason that rendered the system weak.

He said there is a common thinking that state institutions some times cross their jurisdiction and controversies are created.
He said that it is ripe time now to think over strengthening the institutions adding a process has already been initiated with better future prospects.
Responding to a question the Minister said that some media persons use objectionable language against the politicians which is of course not an applicable practice.
The politicians do express their reservation over such attitude but the situation should not have reached to the passage of resolution against media, he said.
It is surprising on part of the PML-N Chief Mian Nawaz Sharif to say that the member who moved the resolution be expelled the Minister said adding the Punjab Chief Minister alongwith many other members was present at the premises during the entire process.
On the reports about the spread of fatal skin disease in some parts of Balochistan and Punjab provinces the Minister was making a firm promise to take an instant notice of the situation but in the meantime a message was received from the PM House, during this live programme, saying that Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani while taking immediate notice of this phenomena has committed to take all the possible measure to address this problem.
The Minister said that, it is a fact that people were facing a number of problems in the country but these problems can only be solved through a system.
The elected government is sincerely planning to address these problems and a number of bold initiative have already been launched in this connection, he added.
He said that emphasize was being made on strengthening the state institutions so that they could deliver their public service activities efficiently to the benefit of people.
http://www.app.com.pk/en_/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=109084&Itemid=2

PM takes notice of mysterious skin disease in Balochistan
'Pakistan Times' Wire Service Wednesday, July 14, 2010

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani has directed the Ministry of Health to immediately send a team of officials and doctors to village Lundi Khosa (Kichhi) in Balochistan to investigate and submit report about the mysterious disease in the village.

The Prime Minister took note of the spread of the disease through a news report on a private television channel and was greatly perturbed to see the condition of patients suffering from the skin disease.

The Prime Minister also directed the Ministry of Health to conduct research and diagnose the disease and its cure for treatment of the patients.
http://www.pakistantimes.net/pt/detail.php?newsId=12896