PESHAWAR, Pakistan: The number of patients suffering from Asthma disease have increased in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as 54462 cases was reported in the second quarter of this year due to poor treatment facilities at public sector hospitals of the province.
The poor treatment facilities in public sector hospitals, shortage of specialist doctors and lack of anti-Asthma centres in KPK have added to the mental agony of patients as they have to visit Government hospitals in big cities and private hospitals/clinics to get quality treatment on high price.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa District Health Information System (DHS) Report 2015 revealed that a record 54462 cases of Asthma disease was registered at the OPD of the public sector hospitals in the second quarter (April-June 2015) against 38064 in the first quarter (January-March2015).
“The cases of Asthma has increased in the second quarter (April-June 2015) as compare to the first quarter and stands at 54462 marks in the second quarter but treatment facilities at hospitals remain poor,” the report disclosed. Last year, 174646 asthma cases were registered in the province, which was a matter of great concerns for the policy makers.
Dr Niaz Ali Khan, TMO, Lady Reading Hospital Peshawar’s Pulmonology Department told APP on Monday that asthma was a chronic illness involving the airways in lungs, adding these airways or bronchial tubes allow air to enter and leave the lungs.
“The lungs of most people suffering from this ailment were inflamed and the muscles around the airways tighten when something like dust or pollen trigger the symptom. This makes it difficult for the patient to inhale and exhale, making the patient cough, wheeze and be out of breath,” he added.
Dr Niaz said people with a family history of allergies or asthma were more prone to developing this disease and a majority of children under the age of five develop asthma. “Asthma could affect people of any age group and is not restricted to children or the elderly citizens” he said, adding pollution was the main causes of respiratory illnesses including Asthma in the province.
In practice, Dr Niaz said it has been seen that patients of asthma and other respiratory diseases increase especially in winter season when winds get colder and pollution get denser in the province.
“Patients suffering from the respiratory illness are likely to have severe asthma attacks due to the plummeting temperatures especially during winter,” he said, adding asthma when untreated can obstruct heart veins, affecting chest viz a viz breath functions. He said asthma was a long-term disease that has no permanent cure but can be controlled through short, medium and long terms treatment plans.
Dr Niaz suggested that asthma patients should stay warm and remain indoors in the morning and evening, adding parents and children should be bundled up in sweaters, socks and keeps their heads warm before stepping outside. He also recommended appointment of medical experts in all districts of the province to effectively treat such patients as they required extensive treatment and medical care.
Asthma patients in LRH told APP that free medicines was mere a slogan of the champions of “Change” as they are being forced to purchase it from open market on very high prices. They said PTI was voted to power on the name of Change, but they have seen no significant changes in public sector hospitals and patients continue to suffer in the province.
In spite of launching various health related programs by PTI since coming into power, the patients continued suffering to get quality and inexpensive treatment in public sector health institutions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the poor facilities for Asthma patients at Govt hospitals have negated PTI claims of provision of better health service delivery to people , the patients remarked.
Source: APP
