Dr Inamullah Khan said 243 dengue patients have so far visited Saidu Teaching Hospital (STH), of which 158 have been discharged, adding no deaths have been reported of the virus as yet. PHOTO: FILE
An emergency meeting of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Health Department and international donor organisations was convened on Monday to review steps taken for the eradication of dengue, which has already affected hundreds of people from Swat.
The meeting was held at K-P Heath Directorate and was attended by representatives of UNICEF, World Health Organization (WHO) and other international donor agencies besides health officials.
Addressing participants, K-P Director Health Services Dr Abdul Ghafoor said the government was taking all possible measures to stop further spread of the virus and international donors had assured him of their support.
He maintained special measures would be taken to spread awareness, adding the government would distribute pamphlets while lady health workers (LHWs) would educate women to keep their homes safe.
Dr Kamran of UNICEF said the organisation will fully cooperate with the health department. He added it has been decided that facilities at all district headquarters (DHQ) hospitals, tehsil headquarters (THQ) hospitals and basic health units (BHU) would be improved to provide better healthcare to people at their doorstep.
Dr Kamran informed district commissioners and tehsil municipal officers will monitor anti-dengue fumigation activities in their respective areas. He complained hospitals of the province do not have proper laboratories and tests have to be conducted in Karachi, Lahore or Islamabad, adding doctors often identify the virus via a patient’s symptoms.
Public health coordinator and focal person for the dengue cell in Swat, Dr Inamullah Khan, said 243 dengue patients have so far visited Saidu Teaching Hospital (STH), of which 158 have been discharged, adding no deaths have been reported of the virus as yet. However, the number of patients may be as high as 300, according to unofficial sources and locals, who say there are not enough beds for patients at STH.
Dr Inamullah informed mosquitoes responsible for the virus can be found in temperatures ranging between 16 and 37 degrees centigrade – making Swat a perfect breeding ground.
The health coordinator said dengue also spread through tourists who brought the virus when they came to visit Swat. He said it was the responsibility of the people to keep the environment clean and regularly use mosquito repellant spray in their houses.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 27th, 2013.
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