White noise: Cold snap triggers 14 child pneumonia deaths

Fatalities occur within the last 12 days as big chill sweeps over Chitral.

CHITRAL:

Dark clouds gathered over parts of the country on Sunday and Monday, triggering heavy rain in parts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, the Federally Administered Tribal Areas and Punjab. While some locals revelled in the cooler weather, others suffered during the cold snap: in the Khot village of Chitral district alone, 14 children died of pneumonia within 12 days, the district health officer said on Monday.

Chitral District Health Officer Dr Israr Ahmad said many of the children presented with coughs and fevers, which developed into pneumonia as the ailments went untreated. Ahmad said two children died in similar conditions in December 2013. Subsequently the government provided medication to the area.

Ahmad said an outbreak of pneumonia in Khot is expected at this time of the year, as the village is situated on the highest altitude point in the district, 150 kilometres from Chitral city and blanketed by snow for a major part of the year. Following recent heavy snowfall in the upper parts of the district, many children fell ill, Ahmad said, their illness exacerbated by a lack of awareness regarding treatment. “This is one of the coldest areas in the district,” Ahmad said. “We are trying our best to curb the spread of pneumonia.”

The DHO said health department officials in the district, their numbers boosted by Aga Khan Health Service officials, are providing treatment to those suffering from pneumonia here. “Another team of health workers will be dispatched here on Tuesday,” he said.

Residents of the area say the government has established a Basic Health Unit here but it remains vacant as medical staff remain absent from their posts for months.

Additionally, Ahmad said residents do not just require medication – many suffer from malnutrition and require food on an emergency basis; with three feet of snow covering the area, movement to and from the village is restricted. Ahmad emphasized that food and warm clothing is required on a long-term basis here.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 25^th, 2014.