KARACHI: Sindh Energy Minister Imtiaz Sheikh announced on Wednesday that the provincial government will construct a 110-bed hospital in Islamkot taluka of Tharparkar district.
Imtiaz Sheikh said that the Sindh government will build a hospital with the collaboration of the Thar Foundation. The minister further said that the provincial government will provide Rs500 million for the establishment of a hospital.
“Sindh government is committed to providing relief and all possible facilities to the people of Tharparkar,” said Imtiaz Sheikh. It is to be mentioned here that Tharparkar has the lowest Human Development Index rating of all the districts in Sindh. The UNDP’s Multidimensional Poverty Index for Pakistan reports that 87% of the population in Tharparkar live in poverty.
Despite humanitarian initiatives by provincial, federal and international authorities, the region has seen little improvement, especially in its infant mortality rate, Access to drinking water in Tharparkar is very poor. Only 47% of the population has access to drinking water. Wells are crowded and their supply strained, as 60% of households wait more than an hour at wells for their turn, and 30% households spend more than Rs 30 for two buckets of water.
