KARACHI: Following the deaths of over 114 children in Thar, a famine-hit part of Sindh, Health Minister Jam Mehtab Hussain Dahar promises to provide better health facilities to the locals of Thar. Sindh Health Minister Jam Mehtab Hussain Dahar said that the provincial government is committed to provide better health facilities in Thar. Talking to media outside the Sindh Assembly, he said, “It is unfortunate enough that the media is exaggerating the number of deaths in Thar, in the current month so far, 39 children of 5 years and less have died. Three children died due to pre term birth, seven died due to birth asphyxia, three died due to pneumonia, 12 died due to neo natal sepsis while other 10 died due to various causes.” The health minister claimed that 114 children were admitted in Civil Hospital Mithi, out of which two died while the two seriously ill children were referred to Hyderabad, while 11 children were admitted in Diplo, 47 in Nagarparkar and 14 were admitted in Chachro, out of which 4 seriously ill children referred to Civil Hospital Hyderabad. Jam Mehtab informed that the 109 children under treatment in hospitals of Mithi, Diplo, Nagarparkar and Chachro were being provided with all the possible medical facilities as the Health Department was utilising all the available resources to give superior facilities to the patients. Adequate funds had been provided to DHO concerned for fuel and maintenance of ambulances to transport patients from Tharparkar to Hyderabad, he said. While replying to a question Jam Mehtab said that in January almost 390 patients were treated. Among them 210 were male, 87 were female and 93 children of ages under 5 years.