Rising count: Over 11 dengue cases reported in Karak

Doctor in emergency ward refused to take all of them in

KARAK/ MALAKAND: More than 11 patients of dengue were brought to District Headquarters Hospital Karak between Thursday and Friday, while locals protested against the duty doctor who refused to take all of the patients into the hospital even though they had tested positive for the disease.

“The doctor took some of them in, but referred three of the patients to Peshawar, after their attendants had an argument with him.” Saeedullah, one of the patients’ brother, told The Express Tribune on Friday. “We have requested the district government to fumigate rural areas of the district to prevent larva from spreading, but the authorities have turned a deaf ear to the call,” he said. “Now we have 11 patients being reported in 24 hours.”

The patients were tested positive for the disease, but the doctor who was on duty at the emergency wars, referred them to Peshawar.

Moreover, the hospital had also received a patient who was bitten by a mosquito. The person was later diagnosed with leishmaniasis and suffered with severe fever, despite all this the authorities did not fumigate the rural and urban areas of the district.

However, the superintendent of malaria control in the district distributed mosquito nets and ointments among locals.

In Malakand, over three dengue patients were received at District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ) Batkhela on Friday, making the total number of patients reach 80 in three days.

To curb the larva from spreading, the district health officer and the district administration started spraying in the most affected areas and distributed nets among locals there.

On August 22, five more dengue patients were admitted to DHQ Batkhela.

Over the days

Besides Malakand and Karak, other districts of the province have also been infested with dengue.

On August 25, at least seven patients suffering from dengue fever were brought to Ayub Teaching Hospital (ATH) in Abbottabad.

A hospital official privy to the development had told The Express Tribune 18 people, including children, were brought to the facility during the last three days. They were suffering from high-grade fever and orbital and body pains.

“They were brought to ATH from different parts of Mansehra and Abbottabad,” he had said. “An initial blood screening was carried out which showed they were suffering from dengue.”

According to the official, 11 patients were discharged after initial treatment while seven were still being treated.

“They all are in stable condition,” a medical officer had told The Express Tribune. “They are likely to be discharged over the next couple of days.”

Water shortage and lack of hygiene are said to be the main cause of the dengue virus. 

Published in The Express Tribune, August 27^th, 2016.