A total of 66 children have lost their lives to pneumonia in government hospitals across South Punjab in January, with 2,847 patients seeking medical attention.
South Punjab Health Department spokesperson Assadullah Shahzad said on Wednesday that the toll includes 41 deaths reported from Children Complex Multan, nine from Bahawal Victoria Hospital Bahawalpur, 14 from Allama Iqbal Teaching Hospital DG Khan, and one each from Sheikh Zayed Hospital Rahim Yar Khan and Sir Sadiq Abbasi Hospital Bahawalpur.
Importantly, no fatalities were reported from Nishtar Hospital Multan by January 23.
Providing insight into the situation, Shahzad shared that 556 pneumonia patients visited outpatient departments, while 2,291 were admitted to Accident and Emergency wards.
Read Pneumonia claims 12 lives in Punjab
Encouragingly, 2,207 of the admitted patients have successfully recovered.
Pneumonia, an infection causing inflammation in the air sacs of the lungs, manifests with symptoms such as cough with phlegm, fever, chills, and difficulty breathing.
Various organisms, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi, can lead to pneumonia, which can range in severity from mild to life-threatening.
Infants, young children, individuals over 65, and those with health issues or weakened immune systems face a higher risk.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 25th, 2024.
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