LAHORE: Caretaker Punjab Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Wednesday announced a one-week suspension of classes for students in grade one and below.

This decision was made in a meeting held at Lahore’s Children’s Hospital where he addressed the unfortunate demise of children due to pneumonia. “In the light of severity of weather, prep and nursery classes in schools have been temporarily closed until January 19th.

While first-grade and other classes will continue; assemblies in schools have been prohibited until January 31st,” he added.

With the temperature dropping in the mornings, the CM advised elderly individuals to maintain a healthy diet, wear warm clothes, and use masks. In children’s schools, masks have been made mandatory to curb the spread of pneumonia.

Stressing the importance of keeping children with pneumonia at home, he urged vaccination for both children and the elderly to curb the spread. He said the government is starting an awareness drive to combat the rising cases of pneumonia in the province.

“To further raise awareness, media outlets are requested to invite pediatricians to morning shows,” he said. “Pneumonia spreads like Corona; parents are requested to take care of their children’s food.”

As per Children’s Hospital emergency statistics eight of every 10 children admitted are diagnosed with pneumonia. If a child exhibits symptoms such as cough, fever and sore throat, the CM advised keeping the child at home and not sending them to school.

He continued that all standard operating procedures (SOPs) to deal with pneumonia will be released in the media by the evening, accompanied by a notification from the school department. He emphasized that pneumonia is an annual occurrence but can be prevented with collective efforts.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024