Eight more children die of pneumonia in Punjab

LAHORE:Around eight more children have died of pneumonia in Punjab due to severe cold weather on Sunday. The Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Department have reported a staggering 799 cases of suspected pneumonia among children in the Punjab province during the last 24 hours.

As many as 135 suspected cases were reported from Lahore alone. This brings the total number of cases in Pakistan’s largest province to 7,963 and 1,290 cases in Lahore alone so far. Earlier, as many as 36 children died in Punjab because of pneumonia in the first 10 days of January.

A maximum of 295 children, between the ages of three months and 12 months, were affected, 68 children of up to two months, and 37 children up to one month suffered from pneumonia. The hospitals, particularly in Lahore, are inundated with cases of pneumonia, chest infections, and viral infections. The Children's Hospital, Lahore, has admitted over 58 children.

Health department officials stressed the critical importance of completing the course of protective vaccinations for children. The high number of cases has also led to extreme shortages of pneumonia vaccines and medicines in Lahore, which poses severe challenge for patients.

With a view to protecting children from contracting pneumonia, the Punjab government has imposed a ban on holding a morning assembly in schools till January 31. The caretaker minister for Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education (SHC&ME) Prof Dr Javed Akram said that pneumonia cases have not increased in the Punjab province as, more or less, the same number of children gets affected by pneumonia every year. The caretaker minister advised parents to complete immunisation course for children, and take care of food to increase children's immunity.