Hospitals run out of space

Extra beds, wards arranged for people suffering from viral fever

RAWALPINDI/ ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences and Federal Government Polyclinic Hospital have run out of space in dengue wards, forcing the administrations of the two healthcare facilities to arrange extra beds for the dengue viral fever patients.

Similarly in Rawalpindi, the government has established dengue wards in Railway Cantonment General Hospital and five other private hospitals after running out of space in three public healthcare facilities of the city including Holy Family Hospital (HFH), Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH) and District Head Quarters Hospital (DHQ Hospital).

The dengue epidemic has spiralled out of control in the federal capital too, where at least 10,000 people have come to Pims and Polyclinic so far with symptoms of dengue fever, of which, 3,200 have been tested positive. Polyclinic spokesman Dr Sharif Astori said 50 dengue patients were admitted in the isolation ward, while another 60 were under treatment in quarantine at Pims.

Owing to the influx of patients, Polyclinic administration has arranged 50 beds for dengue patients at MCH Centre Aabpara, Astori said.

Meanwhile, the state-owned news agency reported that patients complained that the insufficient facilities at Polyclinic and Pims were adding to woes of the dengue patients, who were being referred in large number.

Arshad Malik, a dengue patient at Pims said. "I remained at the hospital for hours to get the opportunity of getting free medical care but the doctors after examining me at OPD clearly told me there was no space for me in this hospital."

Rawalpindi situation

The dengue epidemic, even after claiming 10 precious lives in the garrison city, remains uncontrollable with the influx of patients continuing in the hospitals.

Officials of District Health Authority told The Express Tribune that some 99 dengue patients were reported in different hospitals over past 24-hours, taking the total count to 3,235. Some 65 patients hailed from areas of Potohar Town while remaining cases emerged from other city and cantonment areas.

In order to overcome the shortage of space in all three allied hospitals, including Holy Family Hospital (HFH), Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH) and District Head Quarters Hospital (DHQ Hospital), the government has established dengue wards in Railway Cantonment General Hospital and five other private hospitals.

Meanwhile, some 2,110 patients have been discharged from hospitals after treatment. However, the patients are facing extreme difficulties due to shortage of doctors and staff in the hospitals and inadequate blood testing services.

The anti-dengue campaign is being monitored by district administration while lawmakers and students from Rawalpindi have become part of an awareness campaign against the virus.

Subsequently, the health and environmental experts said that dengue larvae have spawned into mosquitoes and now it was almost impossible to stop them now. The only arrival of cold weather will eliminate them naturally. Until then swarms of Aedes mosquito will continue to carry out air-raids on people of the twin cities. 

Published in The Express Tribune, September 24^th, 2019.