Chickenpox emergency declared across K-P

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) health department has declared a state of emergency across the province due to a surge in suspected chickenpox cases.

Recent reports circulating on social media have highlighted the alarming situation, particularly in girls’ schools in the Chitral district. Approximately 30 students from one school were reported to be affected, and another school reported four suspected cases.

In response to these reports, the district administration organized health camps in these schools, where doctors examined the affected children, collected samples, and sent them to Islamabad for testing. While awaiting the test results, Caretaker Chief Minister Muhammad Azam Khan has taken notice of the situation and directed the health department to take immediate action.

Official sources have indicated that a total of 55 cases are under verification in Chitral and Khyber districts. In Tehsil Mastuj schools, 34 teachers and children have been affected by chickenpox, according to Caretaker Health Advisor Dr. Riaz Anwar. Additionally, 11 cases have been reported in the Tirah Maidan area of the Khyber tribal district.

One chickenpox patient has been admitted to Khyber Teaching Hospital, and four patients have been confirmed in private clinics. Infected patients in both Chitral and Khyber districts have been isolated, with Dr. Riaz Anwar mentioning that five children who were diagnosed in a private clinic will also be located and isolated.

To address the growing crisis, the health department has instructed all districts to provide details of chickenpox cases by Monday.

Meanwhile, the provincial government has decided to take measures to enhance the condition of hospitals operating under the Public-Private Partnership model in remote areas of the province, including tribal districts. A delegation from the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Health Foundation expressed its commitment to providing comprehensive facilities to patients in these hospitals. During their visit to the District Headquarters Hospital in Abbottabad and the Frontier Medical College, the delegation interacted with patients receiving treatment.

The delegation learned that, for the first time in Dasu, Kohistan, the gynecology ward has been outsourced at the District Headquarters Hospital.

This move aimed to eliminate the time-consuming practice of transferring patients to Abbottabad and Bisham for treatment, which had resulted in lives being lost during transportation. The delegation assured that it would actively pursue the release of funds from the provincial government to support these outsourced hospitals.

Recognizing the critical role that outsourced hospitals play in the healthcare system of these remote mountainous districts, the delegation emphasized the need for timely funding from the government. While they acknowledged that service delivery had improved significantly after outsourcing, they highlighted ongoing financial difficulties faced by private partners due to delays in government fund disbursement.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 4^th, 2023.