Worsening air pollution stifles K-P
In Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), the absence of rainfall, dry cold weather, and rising pollution have caused a sharp increase in respiratory diseases, with hundreds of patients suffering from chest infections, asthma, flu, and lung problems are arriving daily at public and private hospitals.
Most patients are newborns and children under fourteen. Despite the growing crisis, Peshawar's main hospitals, Lady Reading, Khyber Teaching, and Hayatabad Medical Complex, have no effective plan to handle the situation, with patients forced to buy syringes and medicines from the market.
Raheem Baz from Malakand brought his father to Lady Reading Hospital with a severe chest infection. After waiting two days without finding a bed, he shifted him to a private hospital, spending Rs17,000 in one day. With no money left, he borrowed from a neighbour.
Such cases are common as hospitals struggle with overcrowding. Lady Reading Hospital alone receives 600 to 700 patients daily, including about 200 children with viral infections, flu, and breathing issues. Hayatabad Medical Complex reports more than 300 similar cases each day.
According to hospital spokesperson Muhammad Asim Khan, treatment is provided according to capacity, but the heavy inflow from other districts increases the burden. "The dry season has led to more respiratory and flu cases, particularly among children," said Khan.
Likewise, a Children's Hospital Peshawar doctor told The Express Tribune that nebulizer machines are reused for multiple children without proper sterilization, spreading infections. This unsafe practice, the doctor added, is common in both public and private hospitals.
Data from Dabgari Garden, the city's hub for private clinics, shows that 30 to 35 paediatricians treat 1,000 to 1,500 children daily, more than 60 per cent suffering from chest or viral infections. Each doctor charges between Rs1,500 and Rs2,000 per visit.
Despite this alarming situation, the provincial health department and other authorities remain inactive. Reports from major hospitals confirm that a single nebulizer machine is used for up to twenty children in crowded wards, increasing the risk of cross-infection.
One example is a seven-year-old boy from Regi, a suburban area of Peshawar, admitted to Hayatabad Medical Complex with a severe chest infection and breathing difficulty. Due to limited machines, he waited long for treatment, and the shared use of equipment raised fears of further infection.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa recorded Peshawar's Air Quality Index (AQI) at 77, with an annual average of 106. The concentration of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) stands at 23 micrograms per cubic metre, 4.6 times higher than the World Health Organization's safe limit.
Major pollution sources are traffic emissions (58.5 per cent), dust (17.7 per cent), household fuels (11.7 per cent), and industrial output (6.6 per cent). Other districts also report poor air: Mardan and Charsadda have AQI levels between 85 and 95, while Kohat and Nowshera range between 70 and 80. Industrial activity and heavy traffic have worsened air quality in Swabi and Abbottabad as well.
Professor Muhammad Nafis of the University of Peshawar's Environmental Sciences Department explained that Pakistan experiences a dry season from October to mid-December, when lack of rain and growing emissions worsen air pollution.
"There is a need for preventive planning and public awareness to protect human health. From late December to March, the wet season brings rainfall that helps clear the air. Steps like Punjab's use of anti-smog guns could help reduce pollution in congested areas. Improving healthcare capacity and controlling pollution during dry months can significantly reduce the health impacts now seen across K-P," said Nafis.