KHYBER AGENCY - People suffering from Leishmania have crossed the figure of 2,700 and it is feared the disease would spread to the whole of Landi Kotal tehsil, health officials of the area informed on Thursday.
They said that the disease has hit many parts of the Landi Kotal tehsil, including Zakhakhel, Khugakhel, Kam-shelman, Loy-Shelman, Bacha Mena, Torkham and other far-flung areas. Locals of the area complained that there was an acute shortage of medical facilities in the local hospital.
Dr Aurangzeb, In-charge Leishmania, agency headquarters hospital, Landi kotal said that the disease was caused by the bite of a mosquito ‘Sand Flu’. The mosquito bites on upper part of human body, which turns to a constant wound if negligence committed in its treatment.
He said that from April 2013 to April 2014, more than 2,700 patients have been recorded. He said that only 200 injections were being provided to them each month by the health department, which could not cater to the needs of increasing number of patients. He feared the disease would spread to other parts of tehsil if anti-mosquitoes’ spray was not conducted immediately.
Arshad Afridi and Sadiq, residents of Zakhakhel criticised the health department for turning blind eyes towards their problems. “The poor tribesmen are getting Leishmania injection from open market for treatment of their ailing relatives, which is a step motherly attitude with them,” they added. They said that the Leishmania Thermo-Theraphy machine has also gone out of order. They asked for provision of enough injections to cure the whole effected tribesmen.  “A patient needs 10-30 doses to be injected for curing the disease,” a doctor in the hospital said. 
When Agency Surgeon Khyber Dr Rehman was contacted on the issue, he said that all data of the patients have been provided to the Health Directorate Fata and Leishmania injections will be provided to all patients as per list available with them. To a query, he said with the coordination of Malaria Control Programme, all arrangements have been finalised to kicks off anti-mosquito spray in the area.