BAHAWALPUR/ FAISALABAD:
Two people are under treatment at Bahawal Victoria Hospital for dengue fever, the Health Department says they while away from the district.
Doctors treating Kashif Ghaffar, son of Abdul Ghaffar, and Hassan Ejaz, son of Ejaz Ahmed, at the BVH said their condition was improving since they were admitted to the hospital on Wednesday night. Dr Aziz Ahmed said blood platelet count of both men was below 33,000 on Wednesday. On Friday, he said, Ghaffar’s platelet count had increased to 80,000 and Ejaz’s to 75,000. He said both men were expected to recover from the disease in a week.
District Officer (Health) Dr Saeed Asghar said Ghaffar and Ejaz had contracted the disease in Karachi and Lahore, respectively. He said they had returned home to Bahawalpur on Wednesday morning. Ghaffar was employed in Karachi and Ejaz was a student in Lahore, he added.
The DO (Health) said an anti-mosquito spray campaign had already been completed in residential areas. He said it had now been extended to old-tyre shops, bus stands and train stations. Bahawalpur EDO (Health) Dr Ehsanullah Warraich said beds had been reserved for dengue patients at all basic health units and rural health centres in the district to avoid any untoward situation.
‘Knowledge of preventive measures key to avoiding outbreak’
Faisalabad. Speakers at a seminar on Dengue Fever in Faisalabad stressed that people should be mobilised and educated about preventive measures to avoid another outbreak of the disease.
Prof Dr Mahmood Randhawa said popular mobilisation was the most effective way to tackle the disease. He called upon the students in the audience to spread awareness about preventive measures in their neighbourhoods.
He was speaking at the seminar arranged by Department of Continuing Education, University of Agriculture Faisalabad. Prof Dr Anjum Sohail said dengue mosquitoes were most active in temperatures between 15 and 22 degree Celsius. He said these mosquitoes die as temperatures rise beyond 35 degree Celsius.
Dr Maqsood Ahmad of Punjab Medical College and UAF Department of Entomology Chairman Prof Anjum Sohail were the key speakers. University Community College Principal Prof Dr Khalilur Rehman also spoke.
Dr Maqsood Ahmad said people should watch out for swelling on face, hands and feet or bleeding. These, he said, along with headache, muscle and joint pain, and nausea were the most common symptoms of the disease.
(With additional reporting by Our Correspondent)
Published in The Express Tribune, May 5th, 2012.
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