Beggar kids face ailments

RAWALPINDI : Rawalpindi has seen a dramatic increase in the number of beggar kids. They are generally from interior Sindh. A large part of the problem is that they are out of the usual health net, including immunization drives.

“Every year a good number of them die of measles and some die of tetanus, while a much higher number are at risk to other diseases because they had not taken shots,” says Azmat Ali, an official at the government’s primary health care unit.

A baby Tanvir Hussain, who was abandoned by a couple when he was eleven years old, his parents put him on a train to Rawalpindi and told him to earn his bread,” adds Azmat.

“For Rawalpindi’s massive population of beggar kids, life on their means they are not only deprived of a family’s love and support but are at risk to diseases that can kill them or cause permanent damage if not treated,” says Musawwar Naqvi.

“I had scabies all over my body and they bled due to scratching, but I didn’t have any money to go to a doctor. I treated it with some cream I bought from a vendor, but it did not go away. However, the rashes that once covered me are now gone, after I found help at an NGO,” says Shahid Hasan.

“Some NGOs have been trying to address both sides of the trauma for these kids, providing psychological comfort and also treatment for the diseases. The boys and girls are separated in each session, where a doctor shows them pictures of different illnesses they could be suffering. The kids are often shy about admitting they are sick. However, as they gain trust in the doctor, some of them whisper to him that they know too well about the diseases in the pictures,” says Moharram Ali.

“An NGO, recently organized a week to study beggar kids’ health, and was shocked at what it found. Doctors found out that they not only had different types of skin disease but are also at risk to an array of diseases,” says Zainab Kamal, who heads an NGO.

“The problem with beggar kids is they are exposed to diverse groups of people and thus get infected with different kinds of diseases, some of which can be fatal if untreated,” said Malik Aziz Haider, a doctor who works with such kids.

“Hepatitis has already killed beggar kids who did not seek treatment in time. These children commonly suffer from scabies, hepatitis, and diarrhea and have worms,” says Nemat Ali, who works with an NGO.

Mustansar Zaidi says, “NGOs hope they can curb the disease afflicting beggar kids by making them aware of the risks in the lifestyles they have been sucked into. If they know how they can stay away from these diseases, it could help a lot.”