Conjunctivitis outbreak hits Punjab, over 10,000 new cases in 24 hours

The Primary and Secondary Health department of Punjab on Saturday reported a severe outbreak of conjunctivitis (pink eye infection) with a staggering 10,269 new cases in the past 24 hours. According to a spokesperson, a total of 394,795 reported cases of eye infections spread across 36 districts within Punjab. Lahore was accounted for 23,397 cases of eye infections with an additional of 452 new cases in the last 24 hours. Bahawalpur has experienced the highest concentration of conjunctivitis cases with a staggering 77,638 cases recorded, within the most recent 24-hour period, Bahawalpur reported 1,540 new eye infection cases. Multan has reported 16,351 cases of conjunctivitis during the current year, with 1,048 new cases documented in the latest 24-hour report.Faisalabad, another major city in Punjab, registered 30,971 eye infection cases. Unfortunately, in the last 24 hours, an additional 1,132 new cases have been reported. Rawalpindi, while comparatively lower in total cases, still reported 9,119 cases. The Primary and Secondary Healthcare department has advised that conjunctivitis typically resolves on its own within 8 to 10 days. To reduce the risk of infection and aid in recovery, it is strongly recommended to maintain proper eye hygiene, including regular washing with clean water, protection from intense sunlight, and shielding from dust and dirt. Punjab Minister for Primary and Secondary Healthcare Dr Jamal Nasir Saturday warned for timely conjunctive preventative steps to decrease the risk of becoming infected and advised patients to refrain from self-medication to cure the condition. Talking to the PTV news channel, the minister said that pink-eye is spreading rapidly in densely populated cities where people are exposed to unfriendly environments, such as factories, bazaars, markets, and shopping plazas. Patients are advised to use prescribed eye drops and tissues for cleansing their eyes, with the option of using cold water for temporary relief, he added. He stressed the importance of using hand sanitizers and cautioned against touching one’s eyes without thoroughly washing hands. “Maintaining mutual distance and staying home were the most effective precautions in the prevailing situation”, he added. Replying to a query, he said many people infected with the disease are not seeing a doctor, while others are resorting to self-medication which can prove injurious to the patients’ eyes, therefore, people should avoid self-medication.” The health department has already issued safety guidelines to deal with the disease, he added. The Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department in Punjab has issued an advisory as cases of pink eye infection continue to surge in various cities across the province, he mentioned. “The Punjab health department has alerted all hospitals of the province to make maximum arrangements in their ophthalmology and outpatient departments,” he said. To another question, he said all patients with eye diseases should visit government hospitals where the eye specialists had been asked to remain on duty. The Punjab Heath Department has pledged to take strict and practical action against the manufacturers of fake medicine, irrespective of their status, dealing such elements as per law. According to Health Department official sources, diabetic patients in Lahore, Kasur, and Jhang districts administered Avastin injections to address retinal damage, but the injections led to severe infections, ultimately resulting in the loss of eyesight. Among others, four individuals from Kasur, namely Chaudhry Shabbir, Main Aslam, Taufeeq, and Nasrin Bibi, also suffered irreversible vision loss. In the meanwhile, the number of vision loss cases in Punjab has surged to over 70. In this connection, the Punjab government has formed a five-member committee to probe the loss of eyesight among dozens of patients allegedly after being administered locally manufactured injection “Avastin” at different hospitals in the province. According to the caretaker Health Minister of Punjab, Dr. Javed Akram, people were not affected by the side effects of this injection, but rather due to the use of counterfeit injections. The primary issue lies in the misuse of the injections. Dr. Akram explained that the genuine problem with the sixteen-milliliter injections is their limited shelf life after being taken out of their protective seal. Addressing recent events in Punjab, Dr. Javed revealed that a private hospital in Lahore administered Avastin injections to several eye disease patients using separate syringes at different times, resulting in many patients losing their eyesight. In this connection, the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP), along with provincial health authorities, has sprung into action and formed a high level committee to investigate the sale of the “altered/dispensed/diluted” form of Avastin injection. Punjab Health Department officials told APP that suspected batches of the alleged drug have been recalled while further distribution was stopped till the verification of its quality through sampling and laboratory testing. On the other hand, the Punjab government is also taking strict measures regarding the spread of pink-eye infection, and in this regard caretaker Punjab Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi has said the Punjab government is taking practical measures to contain the infection. He said school closures was also part of the government measures to counter or slow down the infection in Punjab.