Efforts against dengue fail as 5 more die in Rawalpindi

Death toll for twin cities rises to 23; SAPM reviews response to outbreak

RAWALPINDI: Dengue virus has claimed five more lives over the past couple of days, taking the death toll to 23. Sources in the health department said that four deaths occurred in Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH) on Saturday while 7-year-old Hasnain lost his life to the deadly virus on Sunday.

After examining reports, the dengue expert board declared dengue the primary cause of deaths.

According to the details, the deceased included 46-year-old Muhammad Saghir, 65-year-old Suraiya Bibi, 64-year-old Muhammad Amjad and 26-year-old Amna Sharif.



Meanwhile, as many as 198 dengue patients were brought to different hospitals in Rawalpindi over past 24-hours, after which the total count of has risen to 4,125. As many as 85 cases were reported from dengue-sensitive Potohar Town while other cases emerged from Rawal Town and areas in cantonment jurisdiction.

Further, the influx of patients in Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH), Holy Family Hospital (HFH) and District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital is underway despite the establishment of mobile and filter clinics.

Special Assistant to Prime Minister on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Dr Zafar Mirza said the people and the government stand committed to defeat the dengue virus.

He was chairing a meeting on Sunday to review of preventive and curative aspects of dengue response in areas of concerns in twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

It was decided that for effective coordination, representatives from Rawalpindi will be regularly attending the morning meetings at the Ministry of National Health Services.

The meeting was informed that Directorate General Health Services, MCI and ICT health Department are conducting regular larva surveillance and instituting urgent response measures through rapid response teams.

The meeting was informed that activities in hot spots were supported by local representatives.

It was shared that within Islamabad affected Union Councils included Rawat, Koral and Tarlai while in Rawalpindi case clustering was observed in Potohar Town including Airport Housing Society, Gulbahar Scheme, Wakeel Colony, Dhoke Munshi and Kot Jabbi.

Mirza said that a hotline has been working efficiently with having 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 that people should ensure that the breeding places of mosquitoes inside their homes and vicinity are destroyed. He said that the virus of dengue is continuing to hit the residents of the federal capital, however, the mobile teams have started activities in affected areas like fogging and spraying chemicals to destroy mosquito larvae.

Besides, heads of all hospitals, the coordination meeting was also attended by the district administration and health management teams of Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

ICTA books 34

Islamabad Capital Territory Administration (ICTA) in its ongoing anti-dengue drive, has lodged 34 First Information Reports (FIRs), besides sealing five service stations and four junkyards across the city for not complying with anti-dengue measures.

The city administration teams in collaboration with Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation and the health department had been carried out strong surveillance at every nook and cranny to ensure anti-dengue measures, an official source in ICTA told APP here Sunday.

Assistant Commissioner Koral sealed three tyre shops, four Junkyards and registered 10 FIRs against violators.

The Assistant Commissioner Shalimar during an inspection at G-11 markets imposed fine Rs30,000 to several shops against littering and lodged seven FIRs for providing possible places to dengue breeding.

The Assistant Commissioner Industrial Area reviewed the dengue prevention measures at petrol pumps, service stations and tyre shops operating in sector I-8 and I-9.



Two service stations were sealed and 10 FIRs were registered in violation of section 144.

The Assistant Commissioner Saddar visited the areas of Tarnol, Golra and GT road and sealed three service stations and lodged seven FIRs for not complying anti-dengue measures.

All the filling stations, car wash outlets and tyre shops were given dengue-related awareness from time to time and were warned strictly to comply with anti-dengue measures, the official said.

(with additional input by APP)

 

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