Hospital had to vacate other wards to make room for infected patients. PHOTO: EXPRESS
A team comprising members of the World Health Organisation (WHO) visited the Khyber Teaching Hospital (KTH) on Wednesday to assess the dengue outbreak in the city. The facility was chosen since it has been catering to over 90 per cent of the dengue-infected patients in the city.
The visiting team was told that the large influx of patients had forced the hospital’s management to vacate other wards to make room for the infected. In this regard, 43 beds in the eye ward, 48 beds in the ear, nose and throat ward, while 16 beds in the skin and psychiatry departments were also dedicated for dengue patients.
Infectious Control Committee Chairman Professor Dr Hashimuddin Azam requested the WHO mission to help the institution in establishing a purpose-built isolation unit with trained staff since they will not only benefit the hospital in tackling the current crisis, but their expertise could be used in the future as well.
The visiting experts were told that so far 33,084 suspected cases have been screened at the facility and some 6,437 people have tested positive for dengue. Moreover, 2,247 patients were admitted and some 2,022 have been discharged after recovering from the viral infection.
Moreover, the hospital officials said that the mortality rate of less than one per cent from dengue in the current wave was far less when compared to countries such as Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Singapore.
The team visited different wards and facilitation center for dengue in KTH. The WHO Mission appreciated the efforts made by KTH clinical and non-clinical staff that is working day and night to facilitate the patients.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 21st, 2017.
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