Pink eye forces school closure

Colleges, varsities also closed for three days to protect students

LAHORE:

The Punjab government has shut all educational institutions in the province till Saturday to protect the students from an eye infection affecting a large number of citizens.

The orders were issued after it became difficult to carry on the academic activities because of low attendance of students and teachers attributed to the ailment and the fear among patents in this regard.

Meanwhile, the ophthalmology wards of the government hospitals in the city were overwhelmed the number of patients pouring in.

Eye specialists advised the people to adopt precautionary measures for n view of the proliferation of the disease.

All the government and private schools, colleges and universities will remain shut from Thursday to Saturday.

The decision was announced after Caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi visited the Government Girls High School on Ravi Road and found several students suffering from the eye infection attending classes.

He immediately ordered Punjab School Education Secretary Ahsan Waheed Gujjar to shut the schools and explain why child patients had been forced to attend classes.

The students complained about lack of proper lights and fans in the school. The school education department later issued a notification regarding the closure of ensuring the safety of the students from the ailment.

“The decision will be helpful to protect the students of both government and private schools.

The schools in Punjab open on Monday,” as per the notification.

In addition to the difficulties in continuing the academic activities with a large number of students suffering from conjunctivitis, teachers suffering from the infection were also trying to teach the students while wearing sunglasses, posing a risk of spreading the infection despite the precaution.

The provincial authorities had earlier advised the people to remain at a distance from others and stay home in case of eye infection.

“We have received reports that as many of 30 per cent of the students of some schools have been affected by the infection. Some students and teachers were infected after coming to schools in the morning,” said Punjab Teachers Union general secretary Rana Liaqat Ali.

He said mostly young children had been affected by the disease and their teachers had advised them to stay home.

Meanwhile, rush of patients with eye infection continued to rise in the government and private hospitals. The ophthalmology wards drew the highest number of patients in the hospitals.

A large number of patients, including children and women, were seen in the outpatient and ophthalmology wards where eye specialists and staff struggled to attend to all of them.

A similar situation was witnessed in the Mayo, Lahore General, Jinnah, Sir Ganga Ram and Services Hospitals, as well as smaller government and private health facilities in Lahore and other cities.

Speaking to The Express Tribune,

Eye Specialist Prof Sanaullah Khan said the people should take same precautionary measures as they had done against coronavirus.

They should avoid touching their eyes after shaking hands with others, but the best option was to maintain a distance, he said.

He said families should avoid to use each other’s towels, clothes and soap, and also frequently wash their hands.

The specialist said maintaining mutual distance and staying home were the most effective precautions in the prevailing situation.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 28^th, 2023.