Pak: Woman, four minor daughters die after 'consuming' toxic food

Lahore [Pakistan], May 5 : A mother and her four young daughters lost their lives after ingesting toxic food in Tandlianwala, Punjab, according to ARY News.

Confirming the fatalities, the police stated that the deceased were identified as three-year-old Farzana, four-year-old Aqsa, five-year-old Rukhsana, eight-year-old Muskan, and their 34-year-old mother Muskan.

The incident occurred in Tandlianwala, situated 40 kilometers from Faisalabad and 45 kilometers from Okara, according to ARY News.

"The dead bodies were transferred to the District Headquarters Hospital," the police mentioned.

In a disturbingly similar occurrence on April 5, a family lost four of its members after consuming poisonous tea in Toba Tek Singh.

Reportedly, the tragic incident unfolded in Toba Tek Singh, where three family memberssix-year-old Ali, seven-year-old Iqra, and 22-year-old Saniaperished after drinking the lethal tea.

The hospital administration disclosed that the injured mother and her minor daughters were rushed to a nearby hospital in critical condition. Unfortunately, 18-year-old Madiha also succumbed to her injuries, ARY News reported.

The dismal state of government-run hospitals and the entire public-sector healthcare infrastructure has long been a subject of criticism and despair among both critics and citizens in Pakistan, according to a Dawn report.

However, amidst this already bleak landscape, a more sinister and shadowy issue persists largely unnoticed: the exploitation of patients by certain non-governmental organisations (NGOs) posing as healthcare providers. These NGOs, while purporting to offer better alternatives, are instead preying on the vulnerability of patients, extorting them for financial gain.

This egregious practice strikes at the very core of Pakistan's healthcare system, casting doubt on the integrity of institutions meant to provide affordable and quality medical care. Consequently, it erodes trust in these NGOs, exacerbating the healthcare crisis faced by the masses.

The dire situation underscores the urgent necessity for enhanced oversight and regulation of the healthcare sector in Pakistan. Without robust measures in place to curb such exploitative practices, the already precarious state of healthcare in the country is destined to deteriorate further, amplifying the suffering of those in need, Dawn reported.

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