ISLAMABAD: As the number of students infected with conjunctivitis in Rawalpindi “rises to 20-25 per cent”, the provincial government has decided to shut down schools throughout Punjab till Monday to contain the spread of the viral disease.

A notification issued by the Punjab government on Wednesday said, “In the wake of spread of conjunctivitis/pink eye infections among the school kids, [the] competent authority is pleased to announce that all public and private schools of the province shall remain closed from Thursday 28-09-2023 till Sunday 01-10-2023.”

Schools will reopen on Monday and shall observe standard operating procedures (SOPs) issued by the education department to curb the spread of conjunctivitis, the notification said, adding that all chief executive officers in Punjab are directed to ensure compliance with the orders.

Conjunctivitis is an inflammation of the transparent membrane that lines the eyelid and eyeball. The disease has hit Punjab hard, with state-run hospitals across the province reporting a spike in the number of patients.

Official says schools in Islamabad to remain open as ‘situation under control’

When contacted, Rawalpindi Education Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Yasin Baloch said that the viral disease had affected students across Punjab.

Asked about, Rawalpindi district, he said the students were badly affected in the region.

“ Actually, this is a viral disease which spreads rapidly, as far as Rawalpindi district is concerned roughly 20 to 25 per cent of students were affected,” he said and added that the decision to observe a long weekend was made by the provincial education minister after a meeting with all CEOs.

“I also participated in the meeting; it was decided that schools will reopen on Monday and all heads will ensure implementation of SOPs,” he said. Parents were advised not to send their children to schools if they had an eye infection, Mr Baloch added.

“In case any affected student will come to school, we will contact their parents to request them to pick up their child to avoid the spread of the disease,” he said, adding that through joint efforts of teachers, parents and health workers “we will overcome this challenge…as we did during the Covid-19 pandemic”.

In contrast to Punjab, the schools in Islamabad will mostly remain open. However, a few private institutions decided to close on Thursday. There were no official directives in this regard.

When contacted, Amjad Ahmed, the joint secretary of education, who also holds the acting charge of the director general of the Federal Directorate of Education, said that schools in Islamabad will remain open on Thursday.

He said that the situation in Islamabad was relatively under control than in Punjab; therefore, “we decided not to observe a holiday,” he added.

Earlier, Punjab’s caretaker minister for primary and secondary healthcare, Dr Jamal Nasir, said that eye specialists in government hospitals across the province were on standby round the clock to handle the pink eye cases.

He said that an adequate supply of eye drops has been distributed in hospitals to ensure treatment of the affected children and adults. He urged the citizens to contact the helpline 1033 for treatment and guidance related to the viral disease.

The minister said that the government had established special centres in various hospitals, including Holy Family Rawalpindi, Nishtar Hospital Multan, and Mayo Hospital in Lahore.

Published in Dawn, September 28th, 2023