Dengue in Punjab: Death toll reaches 62, one more dead in Lahore

Total number of dengue patients in Punjab has crossed 8,000.


Express September 22, 2011

LAHORE: Dengue fever continues to spread in Punjab as another youth succumbed to the disease in Lahore on Thursday, taking the death toll to 62 people in the province, Express 24/7 reported.

Seventeen-year-old Awais was a resident of the Upper Mall area and had earlier been admitted to the hospital.

According to unofficial figures, the number of patients in Punjab has crossed 8,000, with 7,500 cases reported from Lahore.

Lahore school timings fixed at 9am-3pm: Education Minister

The school timings for all educational institutions in Lahore have been fixed from 9am to 3pm and it has also been made obligatory for all school-going children to wear full-sleeves shirts and pants, said the government.

The new regulations were announced by Provincial Education Minister Mujtaba Shuja while speaking to the media in Lahore.

He said that the government had completed around 80% of the fumigation drive at educational institutions.

The minister warned private schools that they would be closed if they failed to fumigate their premises.

The schools have also been asked not to hold any sports activities during evening timings.

Shuja added that it is not possible to eradicate dengue in one year and said that information about dengue virus will now be included in the school curriculum.

LHC dismisses petition of sealed private labs

The Lahore High Court (LHC) has dismissed a petition filed by private laboratories that were sealed by the Government of Punjab earlier for charging more than Rs90 for a dengue test.

Laboratory owners had taken their plea to the court and argued that the designated price of Rs90 was too low as the machine used for testing the blood costs about a million rupees.

Judge Khalid Mehmood dismissed their arguments and said that the cost for a blood count test is Rs70 so charging Rs500 more does not make sense.

COMMENTS (3)

R S JOHAR | 12 years ago | Reply

The figures of dengue cases are really alarming as we had the similar experience in India a few years back. However, one important information that this mosquito is only active during evening/night is incorrect since it is equally active during day time as well. One is advised to be fully clad and wear full sleeves shirt.

Babar F. | 12 years ago | Reply

Why don't don't government issue cards to patients for lab test so the lab gets its overhead expenses of atleast 200-300 rupees. So patients get quick and hassle free service and government get to keep a record of all dengue related expenses, Now there must be some funds available for the outbreak of dengue. Only hitch is the abuse of the card. There are few ways to check that starting from random checks of lab or clinics for compliance. The labs must be allowed to do a profitable business thru legal means to cover their justified cost.

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