Peshawar:
Conjunctivitis, commonly known as “Pink Eye”, has reached epidemic proportions across several districts in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, especially in flooded areas. According to the Provincial Health Department, more than 22,863 cases were reported in August alone.
The outbreak has put enormous pressure on hospitals. At Lady Reading Hospital, the province’s largest medical facility, over 150 new cases are reported daily. Alarmingly, five doctors from the hospital’s ophthalmology department have also been given the infection. Khyber Teaching Hospital receives 60 to 70 patients daily, while Hayatabad Medical Complex reports close to 80 cases a day.
Official statistics reveal that between January and August this year, 97,212 conjunctivitis cases were registered all over the province. The highest number is reported in Nowshera, Peshawar, SWAT, Shangla, Battagtram, Marran and Buner. Health officials confirm that the disease has increased significantly in flooded districts, where poor hygiene and stagnant water have contributed to its spread.
The Health Department’s August Report highlighted SWAT as the most affected district with 4,204 cases, followed by Peshawar (2,254), Buner (1,743), Shangla (1,689), Lower Dir (1,484), Nowshera (1,194), Batttagram (1,080) and Malakand (1.235).
Hospital sources say that most patients are treated in wards, but due to the very contagious nature of the disease, doctors avoid the use of shared medical instruments and equipment on infected individuals. Many patients are discharged after the first treatment with strict advice on preventive measures.
In response, the Health Department has issued public advice. Citizens have been encouraged to practice strict hygiene, avoid close contact and isolate themselves if infected. Patients are advised to use separate bedding and pillows, wear protective sunglasses in sunlight and follow medical guidance. Health experts warn that conjunctivitis typically lasts up to a week, but spreads as fast as seasonal influenza whose preventive measures are ignored.
It is remembered that KP Health Department two weeks ago instructed all district and teaching hospitals to take immediate precautions for the prevention and control of conjunctivitis (eye infection) following an advisory issued by the National Institute of Health (NIH), Islamabad.
