ISLAMABAD: As many as four children have died and over a dozen were affected due to the viral diphtheria disease in the different villages of North Waziristan Agency (NWA) of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).
According to the locals of North Waziristan, who recently returned to their homes in Miranshah tehsil, diphtheria disease cases were found in Khuzai and Palangzai areas of the tehsil.
According to authorities of the DHQ Hospital Bannu, nine children were affected from diphtheria disease and were admitted to Bannu Hospital, while several others were referred to Peshawar.
DHQ Medical Superintendent Dr Habib Ullah said that special isolation ward was established for the patients of North Waziristan. He confirmed that five children also died due to the said disease in South Waziristan Agency.
The doctors at the DHQ Hospital Bannu said that they have checked 24 patients of diphtheria, which were brought from Miranshah and several others were admitted in the ENT ward. Dr Iqbal of the ENT ward said that special vaccines called ADS, anti diphtherial serum, and anti toxim were needed to protect the affected children, which were not available in the country.
He said that special teams should be dispatched in North Waziristan to do vaccinations in the affected and adjacent areas; otherwise the disease would continue to spread. He further said that it is a communicable disease, which transfers from one patient to other so it is essential to keep the affected in isolation. Miranshah Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Muhammad Rehman said that they have launched a vaccination drive at the affected areas and had arranged free medical camps in which 400 patients were checked, while 700 were vaccinated.
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