There is no let up in outbreak of measles, as the disease continued to play havoc, as two more children-Ijaz (7 months) and Iqra (one year) died in Lahore raising the death toll. Over 50 children are still under treatment in different hospitals of Lahore. Punjab Minister for Health Salima Hashmi paid a surprise visit to Mayo Hospital on Wednesday and inquired after the health of measles affected children.
She also inquired about the provision of treatment facilities from the parents to their children by the hospital administration. Salima Hashmi reached pediatric ward of Mayo Hospital without any prior information. She visited Pead's emergency, ICU and High Dependency Unit.
Talking to the media, the Provincial Minister said that media has played very important and effective role for creating awareness and sensitizing the people regarding the diseases like measles and this is because of media's role that people bringing their children to the hospitals for treatment in more numbers as compared to earlier.
Salima Hashmi said that there is a need of launching mass immunization campaign against measles not in only Punjab but all over the country to completely eradicate the measles. She said that Punjab government has taken initiatives and Health Department is planning to launch mass immunization campaign in coming days. She said that the top most priority of the every government should be the health of children but in Pakistan a meager amount has been spent on the health sector, especially mother and child health was neglected badly.
She said that if we want to give a healthy future to Pakistan we have to spend many more on the health sector especially to prevent mortality of infants. She urged upon the media to emphasise on the parents to get their children vaccinated against many diseases. She said that this facility is being provided by the government under EPI programme. Replying to a question Salima Hashmi said that children are equal whether they belong to Punjab or Sindh and all the provinces should evolve special plan to save their lives and increase medical facilities for them.