LAHORE: Pneumonia is fatal for infants and weak people as aged people and children with low immunity are the easy target of this disease. Thousands of children suffering from many diseases including pneumonia do not even see the sun of their first birthday.
These views were expressed by Principal PGMI/AMC Prof. Al-Fareed Zafar while talking to the participants of the awareness walk on the occasion of World Pneumonia Day organized by Department of Pediatrics, Lahore General Hospital.
He farther said that as per order of Quran the mothers should feed their children for two years which will also enhance immunity in kids and will protect infants and mothers from all fatal diseases including pneumonia.
A large number of health professionals including Prof. Muhammad Shahid, Prof. Faheem Afzal, MS Prof. Dr. Nudrat Sohail, Dr. Javed Magsi, Dr. Nadia Arshad, Dr. M. Muzmal, Dr. Usman Ali and Dr. Abdul Aziz.
Talking to the participants and the media, Prof. Al-Fareed Zafar said that winter season, environmental pollution and smog is the major cause of lung infections and Pneumonia so the elderly and children need to take special precautionary measures in this season in order to be secure from any deadly disease.
He highlighted that the Government of Punjab has also included the injection of Pneumonia vaccine (Pneumococcal) in the immunization program of children and now the facility of immunization against ten different diseases in the age of two years is provided by the province which is available in all health centers.
He said that it is now the responsibility of the parents to take full advantage of this facility provided by the Government and secure the future of their children.
There is a lack of awareness among the public who neglect their responsibilities regarding children’s health, due to which millions of children die every year due to various diseases, pneumonia is one among them, he added. According to report of UNICEF, a child losses his life in every 43 seconds globally due to Pneumonia
Medical experts narrated in their discussion that Pneumonia has proved to be a very dangerous and life-threatening disease, but with preventive measures this disease can be overcome. They said that this disease can affect a person of any age, but its rate is relatively high in children however according to a report, millions of children die due to Pneumonia every year.
Medical experts highlighting the early symptoms of Pneumonia informed that cough, high fever, chest pain, vomiting and difficult breathing are the main sign this disease. They advised of take maximum amount of water, protect from cold in winter and consult timely to the doctors can save the people from this.
Dr. Nadia Arshad said that there are basically 3 types of Pneumonia which include “Bacterial, Viral and Fungal Pneumonia”. She said that if the fever lasts for more than three days and the cough does not go well, it can also be a symptom of Pneumonia, but food rich in vitamin C can play a role in preventing Pneumonia.
Principal PGMI Prof. Al-Fareed Zafar appreciated the organizers of the walk and at the end pamphlets based on awareness and safety measures were also distributed among the citizens.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023