Two die of dengue, over 600 admitted to allied hospitals

Dengue wards to be opened in private hospitals to treat patients

RAWALPINDI: Two brothers of the Gulbahar Colony area died of dengue fever on Thursday, while their third brother has been admitted in hospital with symptoms of the viral disease.

The deceased, Saad Saeed and Saod Saeed, were under treatment at Holy Family Hospital. The family, however, took the third brother, Sarmad Saeed to Military Hospital said their neighbour Numberdar Tahir Kiyani.

The heirs took the bodies to their native town in Chakwal district, Kiyani told The Express Tribune outside the locked house of the devastated family hit by mosquito-borne disease.

The dengue epidemic was getting worse in Rawalpindi, where officials said 500 people were admitted in the three allied hospitals including Holy Family Hospital (HFH), Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH) and District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ Hospital).

However, Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid during his visit to HFH, trashed the official figures and blamed health authorities of misguiding people, government and the media.

Rashid said 5,000 people came to allied hospitals with symptoms of dengue fever, 900 tested positive while 619 were admitted.

Over 100 dengue patients confirmed in single Pindi village

 

Talking to the media in the presence of doctors he said the worst hit areas were Kot Jabbi, Gul Bahar Colony, Wakeel Colony, Dhok Munshi, Potohar Town, and Dhok Hassu.

The dengue situation is very serious and was likely to get worse in the next 90 days, Rashid said. He told the media that dengue ward will be set up in Railways Hospital.

Moreover, Rashid said he has asked Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar and Prime Minister Imran Khan to get dengue quarantine wards opened in 19 private hospitals of Rawalpindi. Besides isolation wards should be opened in Pims, Polyclinic and CDA Hospital to handle the load of dengue patients, he said.

Rashid visited all the three allied hospitals of Rawalpindi city and inspected dengue wards and other arrangements to fight dengue.

Talking to the media at HFH he said the dengue situation continues to deteriorate in the city.

Rashid accompanied by Rawalpindi Medical University Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Muhammad Umar and District Health Officers also visited DHQ Hospital Raja Bazar and BBBH Murree Road and inspected dengue wards and inquired after the wellbeing of dengue patients.

He urged the citizens to adopt all possible precautionary measures to prevent dengue.

He said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a historic blunder and now trying to mislead the world. "We do not want war but if it is imposed by India on Pakistan, it would be the last this time as whole Pakistani nation will be standing with Pak Armed Forces."

33 more test positive for dengue fever

 

Prime Minister Imran Khan and General Qamar Javed Bajwa would resolve the longstanding Kashmir dispute. He said, the entire Pakistani nation would observe 'Kashmir Hour' on Friday to express solidarity with the Kashmiris of Indian Occupied Kashmir on unprecedented atrocities and aggression being committed by Indian armed forces against them.

The Minister announced that Lal Haveli would also remain closed from 1200 to 1230 hours while all the trains of Pakistan Railways would be stopped for two minutes wherever they would be.

He said, Pakistan's policy on the issue of Occupied Kashmir under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan has entered a decisive point and the mistake of Indian Prime Minister will lead to freedom of Kashmir.

The newly appointed chief executive of District Health Authority (DHA) has said that the anti-dengue campaign.

DHA CEO Dr Sohail Ahmed Chaudhry told The Express Tribune that high-risk areas will be the focus for dengue control efforts.

Dr Chaudhry who was as medical superintendent of Wah Cantt Hospital has assumed the charge of DHA CEO for the second time.

He said the health authority has immediately reorganised anti-dengue campaign in a more swift and organised way. He added that dengue sensitive areas would be focal point of the campaign.

54 more dengue cases surface

He urged people to follow guidelines for prevention against dengue fever.

Meanwhile, the authority also revised responsibilities of two district health officers (DHOs). According to the notification, the DHO Preventive Services, Dr Naveed Akhtar, has been deployed as Deputy DHO while Dr Tahir Rizvi has been given responsibility of DHO Preventive Services.

Outgoing DHA CEO Dr Rashid Khan has been directed to report primary and secondary health department.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 30^th, 2019.