As the outbreak of conjunctivitis (pink eye) spreads across the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, there has been a significant surge in the prices of eye-related medications, including eye drops and rose water, in the open market.
Essential eye drops for conjunctivitis have reportedly vanished from local stores. With the rising cost of these treatments, the number of conjunctivitis cases is increasing at an alarming rate.
In the past three days alone, nearly 2,964 patients suffering from conjunctivitis have visited Rawalpindi's three major eye hospitals: Holy Family Hospital (HFH), District Headquarters Hospital, Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBGH), and the Cantonment Hospital.
Private hospitals and local clinics are also seeing long queues of patients. A large number of families across the twin cities have been affected, yet neither the district Health Department nor the district administration has initiated any awareness campaign or issued a public notice regarding the issue. This lack of action is contributing to the growing number of cases. As the situation worsens, local pharmacies have raised the prices of all related eye drops. Eye drops that were previously available for Rs90 are now being sold for as much as Rs160, with price hikes affecting all varieties of eye drops.
Dr Inayat, the Deputy Medical Superintendent at BBGH, emphasised that conjunctivitis is a highly contagious condition. If one individual in a household, office, or school becomes infected, it can quickly spread to others, he added.
"The infection can be transmitted through handshakes, shared towels or utensils, or by being in close proximity to an infected person. To prevent further transmission, doctors recommend washing the eyes with clean water, applying prescribed eye drops, and avoiding touching the eyes with hands."
The paramedic advised the patients to use their own towels and utensils, wear dark sunglasses to protect their eyes from sunlight and bright lights, and apply ice compresses for relief.
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