In Pakistan, dengue cases jump up to 11,783

Punjab worst affected; 95 % cases in Sindh from Karachi; PM’s adviser says no shortage of medicines

ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to PM on National Health Services Dr Zafar Mirza on Tuesday said the highest number of dengue cases is reported in Punjab while overall cases of the viral disease in the country have soared to 11,783.

“There are 11,783 dengue patients at present in the country out of which 2,827 are from Punjab, 2,474 from Sindh, 2,260 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 1,780 from Balochistan and 2,046 from Islamabad,” the assistant said while addressing a press conference.

“In Punjab, 84% of the cases belong to the Potohar region. In Sindh, 95% of cases have been reported from Karachi,” he added. He said in the past, even a greater number of people was affected by the disease but “our whole concentration at present is to check its outbreak rather than politics”.

He said the timing of the OPDs in other federal capital hospitals have been extended while a referral system has been developed to shift the serious patients to major hospitals.

He said there is no shortage of dengue treatment medicines and testing kits and sufficient quantity of such medical items have been purchased and handed over to the hospitals.

Drin Mirza said a hotline has been working efficiently with a team of medical experts to reply to the queries of citizens round the clock. He advised the people to contact these numbers to get any dengue-related information that included 051-9216890 and 051-9212601.

He said the fumigation is still continued in most affected areas of federal capital like G-6, G-7, and G-8 to protect the citizens from carrying this virus.

He said 16 Basic Health Units and two dispensaries of the federal capital have also been activated to give initial treatment to dengue patients and refer them to major hospitals on serious condition.

“The government has backup availability of 1,000 beds at private sector hospitals while presently public sector hospitals of the federal capital have enough capacity to deal with the dengue patients.”

Dr Mirza said he is personally monitoring the facilities for dengue patients at the allocated wards of the federal capital hospital and making improvements on the suggestions of patients and attendants.

He said the beds for dengue patients have already been increased at PIMS while additional staff has been deputed to properly look after the admitted patients.

He said a special study would be conducted in the coming days to find out reasons behind the spread of dengue in this region. To a question, he said the government will satisfy the medical practitioners of PIMS on Medical Teaching Institute act and the consultation process was in progress in this regard.

WITH ADDITIONAL INPUT FROM APP.