My Constant Battle Against Pneumonia

Here in my village, we have to work very hard to prevent children from getting pneumonia and dying. Pneumonia attacks children under 5 years old, and I am always reminding parents that even common colds can be dangerous, because if the child is not treated a cold can turn into pneumonia, then mild pneumonia can turn into serious pneumonia, which can be deadly. I tell parents they must come see me right away as soon as they notice their child is sick, because the longer they wait, the worse things can get.

Recently I saw a one-and-a-half-year-old girl named Rina. Her mother was worried because she had a fever and a cough. Rina had probably been sick for 6 or 7 days already when her mother brought her to me. It started with a mild cold and then it evolved into pneumonia.  Before I even tested Rina, I was pretty sure that’s what she had. I explained to the mother how dangerous pneumonia can be and I told her I was glad she came to me for help. I took Rina’s temperature and counted her breaths. She had a slight fever and she was breathing 42 times per minute. To be well, it should not be over 40. After I confirmed Rina had pneumonia, I told the mother we needed to fight it with the correct treatment.

I gave the mother antibiotics and told her to give Rina one spoonful every 8 hours for 7 days. “You have to follow the exact schedule,” I said, “and don’t give her any more or less medicine.” I also gave her acetaminophen tablets to give Rina every 6 hours for 3 days. “You don’t want your baby to have to go to the hospital, so you must follow these instructions,” I said.  “Now you know what this disease is like, and you can recognize the warning signs. Whenever your child has symptoms we should treat her so she doesn’t get severe pneumonia.”