NANGARHAR (SW) – More than 50, 000 children got sick in Nangarhar province during past six months due to the polluted air and other circumstances.
Dr. Najibullah Kamawal, director public health, blamed the surging number of auto-rickshaws in the provincial capital, Jalalabad, and the multiple brick kilns in various districts as the main reasons for growing number of children getting ill here.
Authorities have not shared the details of fatalities in this regard.
Children’s care at household has been pronounced as key to the good health. Doctors particularly advise parents to keep their children warm and away from the polluted air during winter than can cause chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pneumonia and asthma.
Dr. Habibi, a pediatrician at the Jalalabad regional hospital, told Salam Watandar pneumonia is a major cause of death among children especially in developing countries. He also blamed poverty and rapid growth of population for the spread of this disease.
The locals, however, lament that the government has not paid enough attention to the Nangarhar residents in terms of health.
Nasim and Khan Mohammad, two residents of Jalalabad city, argued the regional hospital is too small to accommodate so many patients. They also complaint against the doctors and other relevant officials for not being on time and not paying enough attention to patients.
The locals demand each province in the eastern zone, Laghman, Kunar and Nuristan, should also have dedicated public hospitals to properly deliver health services.
ENDS
