Pakistan: Punjab floods trigger health crisis as disease outbreaks spread

Lahore [Pakistan], September 7 (ANI): Punjab’s flood-hit districts are grappling with a grim reality, despite official reassurances of a smooth relief operation, with the outbreak of flood-related diseases, The Express Tribune reported.

Health issues are escalating due to the outbreak of flood-related diseases, with doctors and aid workers reporting a surge in patients suffering from diarrhoea, skin infections, and dengue fever.

These patients often wait for hours or even days for proper treatment, highlighting the strain on the healthcare system, as per The Express Tribune.

The situation on the ground is dire, with health units overwhelmed and a shortage of essential medicines. In some relief camps, critical supplies like anti-malarial drugs and rabies vaccines have run out, leaving residents vulnerable to further health risks.

A health worker in Narowal described the challenging conditions, saying, “We are treating dozens of patients in tents without enough supplies. Official tallies don’t match the situation here”.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned of “grave risks” of epidemic outbreaks, emphasising the need for clean water, sanitation, and uninterrupted medical supplies.

Further, the aid groups confirm that conditions in several camps remain unsanitary, with stagnant floodwater breeding mosquitoes and raising the likelihood of cholera and dysentery.

According to The Express Tribune, the floods, which have been ongoing since late August, have displaced over two million people in Punjab, submerged 2,000 villages, and washed away vast tracts of farmland.

Thousands of acres of crops, including rice, cotton, and sugarcane, have been destroyed, further exacerbating food insecurity in the region.

The provincial government claims to have rescued nearly 1.9 million people, set up more than 1,000 relief camps, and deployed mobile health units. But reports from the field indicate that many villages remain cut off, with relief measures reaching them only sporadically.

In Hafizabad and Kasur, locals complain they have received no consistent supply of clean water or medical assistance.

Health records show more than 15,400 cases of dengue, diarrhoea, malaria, and skin diseases were detected across Punjab in the past month.

Lahore alone reported over 9,000 patients in the past 24 hours. According to the Punjab Health Department, since January, the province has logged 310 dengue cases, 79 of them in Lahore. The crisis extends beyond vector-borne diseases – 99 snakebites and 167 dog-bite cases have also been reported. (ANI)

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