Cholera continues to haunt the cities and hinterlands of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) as eight children have reportedly died of the disease in Swabi district.
It has also infected hundreds others.
In recent days, cholera outbreak has been twice reported in Kalam, Swat, Tank, Dir Upper and Lower and DI Khan districts.
Cholera is a waterborne disease and experts link it with the recent rains and flash floods in the province which had infected wells in the far-flung parts where people still use their water.
Medical Teaching Institute (MTI) Bacha Khan Medical Complex has confirmed the death of eight children in one week and said that dozens more have been hospitalized.
“Cholera has been there for three weeks since the start of monsoon rains in the region but no one paid attention to it and no efforts were made to chlorinate the sources of water to prevent the further spread of it,” an official of the health department told The Express Tribune.
He said that around 200 children have been brought to different hospitals and 60 of them were still under treatment.
When contacted the District Health Officer (DHO) Dr Abdul Latif said that all of these reports were actually rumours and there was no cholera outbreak.
An official of the hospital confirmed that 60 children were under treatment in different hospitals and the situation was now under control.
“There are 48 patients in Bacha Khan Medical Complex, eight in Chota Lahore hospital and four in Topi hospital,” he said.
Local residents of Swabi demanded of the government to take notice of the situation and order the health department to take concrete steps to overcome the situation.
Lumpy skin disease outbreak
Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) has killed hundreds of cattle in Swabi district since its outbreak was first reported three months ago.
The Livestock Department had carried out a vaccination campaign in the district too to prevent its spread but still farmers are complaining their cattle are dying out mysteriously.
Due to LSD outbreak cattle dealers lost millions as the general public avoided buying infected animals. Mostly cows were infected with it.
“Due to the LSD people are not even buying beef in the district which is why many butchers are facing hardship,” said a local official.
Farmers demanded of the Livestock Department to restart its vaccination campaign in the district. They allege that the government was not paying any attention to their problems.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 5th, 2022.
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