KARACHI:
On 6th October, I felt pain in my joints but ignored it because it seemed like a regular pain from fever. I did, however, take some medicines to stifle the symptoms. At the time, I was unaware that I had the dengue virus. Like many others, I had the same careless attitude until I became a victim myself.
As my symptoms intensified, I was compelled to take a complete blood count (CBC) test. After receiving the results, I realised that my platelets were low and gradually receding. I visited District Hospital Toba Tek Singh to get my condition treated. But to my utter shock, the hospital was in a chaotic state with patients crowded in the hallways and there was no one to tend to me. I was told that the reports I was carrying were fake and there were no other authoritative figures that I could speak to. There were no proper wards designated for patients suffering from different conditions and illnesses. Due to a lack of doctors, many patients were left unattended.
After witnessing the dire situation at the hospital, I want to urge the relevant authorities to resolve the issues facing the hospital. The hospital should be remodelled to increase capacity for patients and there should be separate wards for patients with different conditions. There should be adequate staff i.e. doctors, nurses and pharmacists always present on hospital premises. In addition, a mass campaign should be launched to inform people of the dangers of dengue and prevention measures. Both federal and provincial governments should take the necessary steps to curb the dengue virus. Otherwise, it will result in a disastrous situation.
Muhammad Farhan
Faisalabad
Published in The Express Tribune, October 16th, 2021.
Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.
