PESHAWAR, Nov 28: The Pakistan Paediatric Association (PPA) has warned the government of outbreak of epidemics among children in quake-hit areas of the province. The PPA is providing treatment to children in Battagram. “We are extremely worried about infectious diseases among children,” said Dr Abdul Hameed of the PPA on Monday.

He said that 10 paediatricians from the Khyber Teaching Hospital, the Hayatabad Medical Complex and the Lady Reading Hospital were working in Battagram on behalf of his NGO but “the government should provide shelter, warm clothes and food to protect them against hypothermia, an ailment caused by low temperature.

He said children were 50 per cent of the population the other three provinces had dedicated hospitals for them with all modern facilities but the NWFP lagged behind in this respect.

He said that children were at risk of getting pneumonia, encephalitis (brain infection), chest infection, diphtheria, meningitis and water and airborne infections because low temperature adversely affected immunity of children and caused malfunctioning of their bodies.

“Unhygienic conditions and overcrowding in tents pose threat of epidemics”, he said, adding that children were also at the risk of tetanus, dysentery and diarrhoea.

Dr Hameed, said the PPA and Unicef had planned to establish a 20-bed field tent hospital in Battagram. The hospital would have all modern facilities required for treatment of children.

“A memorandum of Understanding is being signed under which Unicef would provide accommodation, transport facilities and incentives to doctors”, he said.