Pneumonia, RTIs break out in flood-hit areas: Pechohu

The weather is getting colder which is leading to pneumonia and other respiratory tract infections (RTIs) because of the shift in disease pattern, said Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Pechuho.

There are 7.4 million displaced in Sindh and the Sindh Government and Health Department have managed to give medical treatment to 3.9 million people till now.

Pechuho sharing the detail of the health emergency in Sindh said that total 340 people have died during the floods, including children. "We do not have exact figure of how many children have died due to flood related diseases," she said.

She said that the extra beds and paediatric units were being established to accommodate the increase in patients.

The minister said that unfortunately most of the hospitals were overburdened with internally displaced persons (IDPs) who need treatment and almost every OPD is functioning at over 100 per cent capacity.

Dr Pechuho said: "one of the worst emergencies we are facing is malnutrition besides septicemia, inflammation of the brain due to malaria and meningitis." She said that she was grateful to international partners and donors who have come forward with medical aid, especially in the way of medicine, as we are not in a deficiency regarding medicine, at the very least.

Health facilities have been damaged to a large degree and therefore are non-functional, the equipment within these facilities have also been damaged due to the floods so as of now there is a survey of where the water is receding and what can be salvaged and what needs to be restored and rebuilt.

International donations have not yet been utilised for flood relief and when this money comes through it will be used for rehabilitation of the IDPs, rebuilding the infrastructure that was lost in the floods and other flood relief activities.

The minister also stated that she is glad a mother and child healthcare unit that was built in Nawabshah last year, with a paediatric ward that has 160 beds and a 160-bed ward for gynae. She said that 1,008 hospitals have been damaged during the heavy rains the floods. "Human resources is another issue we are facing," she highlighted.

She said that 3,800 pregnant women were facilitated to deliver their children at the Nawabshah hospital. Dr Pechuho said that the major cause of stunting in children was weak and undernourished mothers. "Mothers are unhealthy so we have underweight and premature babies," she said.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 12^th, 2022.