In Rawalpindi, OPDs remain closed for second consecutive day at MTI

Dengue patients’ Pindi death toll rises to 44

RAWALPINDI: Amidst the dengue plague unleashing its terror, young doctors issued a call for strike against the Medical Teaching Institute (MTI) Act implementation in the teaching hospitals. Resultantly, the OPDs in all three government hospitals have remained closed for the second consecutive day.

All the departmental OPDs remained empty. Keeping in mind the absence of the doctors, the slip counter was closed which caused immense difficulties for the patients.



Similar to other cities of Punjab, the young doctors of Rawalpindi are protesting against the MTI Act. The young doctors carried out a strike on the second day in the OPDs of Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH), Holy Family Hospital (HFH) and District Headquarter (DHQ) Hospital and did not check or attend to any patients. Due to the strike by the doctors, the patients faced a lot of difficulties. Patients were forced to frantically search for doctors and hundreds had to go back without getting treatment.

The young doctors said that the implementation of the MTI Act is unacceptable. They mentioned that no talks were held with the Punjab government. They warned that in the next stage all emergency and indoor facilities will be shut down in the all the government hospitals. The doctors went on a strike locking down all rooms of OPDs in HFH and raised slogans.

However, the doctors maintained that during the strike, the dengue patients were provided all the necessary facilities and treatment. They said that the doctors and paramedical staff are still present in all wards, operations theatres and emergency.



Dengue spreads

Dengue attacks continue unabated with the epidemic claiming yet another life in the past 24 hours while another 157 new patients were reported in the hospital. The number of dengue patients in Rawalpindi has now soared to 5,956.

Despite tall claims made by the Punjab government and the department of health, the dengue mosquitoes could not be controlled and the daily activities of life have been affected. Business and commercial activities in the affected areas have been restricted while those commuting to schools and offices are also facing difficulties.

Rawalpindi has borne the greatest brunt of the dengue epidemic with the number of dengue patients increasing with each passing day. In the past 24 hours, a 60-year-old patient Azad Mir died in the Holy Family Hospital due to dengue fever.

Sources of the hospital informed that the affected patient was a resident of Morgah who had been admitted to the hospital two days earlier due to dengue fever and his body has been handed over to the heirs. Doctors said that owing to the dengue virus, the white blood cell count of the patient had dropped to extremely low levels while the intensity of the fever too, had increased. The patient was shifted to the ICU and provided medical assistance on the ventilator but he could not recover.

The latest death has taken the death toll of dengue patients to 44. On the other hand, despite the imposition of dengue emergency in Rawalpindi, the health secretary’s camp office and strict directives issued by the Punjab chief minister and additional arrangements in all three allied hospitals, the dengue mosquitoes could not be put under check.



The Punjab government had changed the Rawalpindi deputy commissioner in a bid to control the dengue menace and had shifted the anti-dengue teams and mobile health units to Rawalpindi but the issue could not be resolved.

It has been observed that school children, people working in offices and those engaged in businesses in the affected areas are facing severe difficulties.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 12^th, 2019.