Schools across Punjab to remain closed till Sunday as eye infection cases swell
Lahore_The pink-eye (conjunctivitis) outbreak has spread throughout Punjab to an alarming level as the number of infected persons shot up rapidly,Around 74,220 patients have been reported across Punjab – 8,851 patients have been reported in the last 24 hours
The number of patients suffering from conjunctivitis has now reached thousands, and the hospitals are running out of their capacity to accommodate them.
Medical experts have advised people suffering from conjunctivitis to be careful and wash their hands frequently with soap.
In view of the threat of conjunctivitis epidemic in the province, caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Wednesday announced four holidays in private and government schools across the province from Thursday to Sunday.
As Friday is already a gazetted holiday on account of Eid-e-Milad and most institutions already have two weekly offs (Saturday and Sunday), the government has added another day to be on the safe side.
CM Naqvi paid a surprise visit to the Government Girls High School, Ravi Road, where some students complained about a lack of facilities.
Despite the government’s instructions, students suffering from conjunctivitis or pink eye infection were present in the school. The chief minister expressed anger and asked the school administration to adopt precautionary measures.
He sent for the school secretary immediately and instructed him to announce holidays from Thursday to Sunday in all private and government schools of the province.
It was also decided that the affected students would not be allowed to sit in classes on Monday.
He also paid a surprise visit to Said Mitha Hospital where he expressed his anger after he found that four doctors, suffering from conjunctivitis, were operating on a patient whose roof was also leaking.
He reprimanded the medical superintendent for allowing the staff with conjunctivitis to come on duty.
Meanwhile, caretaker Minister for Health Nadeem Jan told 24NewsHD TV channel that the size of the five-member committee, formed to deal with the issue of pink eye outbreak, has been enlarged to 15 members.
