Govt hospitals in Sindh to get kits to diagnose chikungunya

Single kit costs around Rs400 and requires only a drop of blood to test the patient for the disease

KARACHI: For the first time since the outbreak of chikungunya six months ago, the Sindh health department has decided to order 20,000 rapid diagnostic kits to diagnose the disease.

The decision has been taken months after the outbreak of the disease in Malir last year, which has affected thousands of residents in Malir, Keamari, Bin Qasim, Orangi, Lyari and the coastal belt of Karachi. The cost of a single kit is between Rs300 and Rs400 and it requires only a single drop of blood to test the patient for chikungunya, according to Prevention and Control Programme of Dengue Programme Manager Dr Maqsood Solangi.

The diagnostic kits for chikungunya will be provided to the hospitals by the Prevention and Control Programme of Dengue. According to Dr Solangi, who is the focal person for chikungunya in Sindh, the kits will be available in all the government hospitals by the next week for early and correct treatment of the disease. Although the disease requires symptomatic treatment, this will help keep the record of chikungunya-affected patients, he said.



Speaking to The Express Tribune, Dr Solangi said that from the coming week, diagnosis of chikungunya will be carried out in government hospitals situated in all the districts of Karachi. However, he said, since they don't have kits to diagnose chikungunya, they have been directed to set up a medical camp to exclude other mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue.

Meanwhile, a blood screening camp has been set up to diagnose malaria and dengue in chikungunya-hit areas of Karachi by the programme. These camps have been set up in Sindh Government Hospital Saudabad Malir and Sindh Government Hospital Ibrahim Hyderi. The blood screening camps screened patients on Tuesday for dengue and malaria.