Increase in respiratory and lung allergy patients; Nebulizer machines are missing in government hospitals

Karachi: Nebulizer machines have disappeared in the emergency of government hospitals in Karachi, while the health department has not purchased nebulizer machines for the last two years.

In the cold season, the number of patients with various types of allergies, including chest, respiratory, and lung, is increasing alarmingly in Karachi. There is no system to collect the data of affected patients at the official level. Medical experts who treat these diseases claim that the number of patients suffering from these diseases has increased by about 20 percent during the current cold season.

Due to non-availability of nebulizer machines in government hospitals, patients of these diseases are turning to private hospitals where the charge of nebulizer is 800 to 1000 rupees, while low-income people are forced to buy this machine personally to maintain their breathing. .

Due to the increasing demand of these machines, the profiteers have increased its price by 3 to 5 thousand rupees. These nebulizer machines of different types and quality are available for 8 to 15 thousand rupees, while the prices of medicines or kits used in this machine are also higher. There has been an increase of 100 to 200 rupees.

Express has compiled a report on the shortage of nebulizer machines in hospitals, difficulties faced by patients and rising prices of respiratory medicines.

Asma Shiraz, a resident of Nazimabad, said that the doctor instructed me to nebulize when I went to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, but there was no nebulization machine available there. Nebulized for three days.

Regarding this situation, Urban Planner Muhammad Tawheed said that earlier flu, cold, and flu diseases in Karachi used to last for a few days, but in the last two years, this disease has turned into a chronic disease. He said that in the city dust, dust, setting fire instead of collecting garbage, poor transport system, running on a large number of vehicles emitting fumes, burning wood for cooking in houses due to shortage of gas are polluting the environment of the city.

Former Head of Chest Diseases Department of Jinnah Hospital Prof. Dr. Nadeem Rizvi admitted that due to air pollution, toxic fumes from vehicles and factories, burning of other items including garbage and climate change, the people of Karachi are suffering from chest, respiratory, The number of patients with pneumonia and asthma is constantly increasing.

He said that there is no system to collect the data of these patients. He expressed regret that despite being aware, the majority of people smoke, due to which the chest and lung system are severely affected.

Amer, a shopkeeper in the medicine market, said that the demand for nebulizer machines increases in the winter season and the price of this machine has increased by two to five thousand rupees this winter. An increase of 100 to 200 rupees has been seen in the prices of medicines and shortage of medicines has also come up in some places.

On the other hand, the officials of the health department said that it has been revealed that the government hospitals have not purchased nebulizer machines for two years, due to which there are no nebulizer machines in the government hospitals of Karachi. Nebulization is being done by applying masks, but this facility is not available in 80% of hospitals in Karachi.

According to the express survey, nebulizer machine is not available in government hospitals established in district and rural areas of Karachi, but in some hospitals, the same nebulizer machine is being used on different patients.

In the survey, many government officials said that Sindh Government Ibrahim Haidari Hospital, Sindh Government Korangi Hospital, Sindh Government New Karachi Hospital, Malir District, Kemari District, Central District, Western District, Eastern District, South District and Gadap District, including any government role and urban Nebulizer machines are not available in the hospital.

According to the survey, some doctors said that during November to December in Karachi, more than 4000 patients of respiratory diseases and asthma have been reported in the hospitals of all the districts of Karachi including Jinnah Hospital, Civil Hospital, among them Civil Hospital and In Jinnah Hospital, oxygen point was nebulized by nebulizing mask, while 90 percent of respiratory patients reported in emergency department of other hospitals were instructed to take steam through steam in private hospitals and homes.

The administration of Jinnah Hospital, Civil Hospital said that respiratory patients who come in emergency are nebulized by applying mask through oxygen point. Meanwhile, district hospital administration of Karachi says that since last two years we have not been provided nebulizer machine, patients are being nebulized with whatever nebulizer machine is available.