In Rawalpindi,four succumb to dengue virus in a day

Over 146 patients admitted to hospitals in Rawalpindi as threat looms

RAWALPINDI: The deadly dengue mosquito caused four more fatalities in Rawalpindi during the past 24 hours, pushing the death toll to 49 in twin cities.

Health authorities and district administration having failed in dengue prevention were pining hopes on the onset of winter, but that too remains elusive because of warmer autumns due to global warming.

The weather change resulting in warmer days in October has extended the dengue season further, otherwise these lethal vectors would have died out by middle of this month.

The latest victims of dengue haemorrhagic fever include two men and two women. Three deaths were reported from Holy Family Hospital (HFH) and one from Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH).

Two victims, hailing from Adyala Road, include 37-year-old, Sajid and 60-year-old Ansa Fatima and the other 40-year-old Shahid Ali, hailing from Morgah Company Colony were under treatment at HFH, while 28-year-old resident of Islamabad , Tayabba, succumbed to the disease at BBH.

The bodies of all victims were handed over to their families after formalities.

Apart from fatalities, 146 more virus affected patients were brought to hospitals in the garrison city over the past 24-hours after which the collective figure has escalated to 6,595.

As many as 46 cases were reported from the dengue-sensitive area of Potohar Town while other cases emerged from different parts of Rawal Town and Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB).

Larvae found and destroyed

The dengue surveillance teams of Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) recovered dengue larvae from some 27 spots on Wednesday.

During outdoor inspection activity, the teams inspected 1,245 houses and found larvae in 15 of them which were destroyed on the spot.

The operation was carried out in different areas including Naseerabad, Westridge, Misaryal Road, and Range Road. The teams also inspected tyre shops, factories, hotels, filtration plants and graveyards and recovered larvae in 12 spots after which the related action was carried out.

The teams pleaded the citizens to help fighting them dengue by keeping their surroundings clean.

Anti-dengue seminar by APPSM

All Pakistan Private Schools Management (APPSM) Taxilla organised an anti-dengue seminar at community hall on Wednesday.

APPSM Taxila Divisional President Abrar Ahmed Khan chaired the event while Assistant Commissioner (AC) Taxila Usman Tariq was invited as the special guest.

On the occasion, AC said that the entire focus of the government was on eradication of dengue virus. He expressed that private schools were supposed to hold a period for spreading awareness against the virus amongst students and teachers and demanded the schools to do so.

AC Tariq said that if dengue larvae were recovered from a school, its head would be considered responsible for it.

Free CBC test scheme launched

The district administration has launched free blood testing scheme with assistance of a private laboratory and a private school for timely diagnosis of dengue fever.

Under the scheme, the citizens can obtain free complete blood count (CBC) testing coupon from any of the three branches of related pathological laboratory until November 10.

The officials said that a renowned private school would bear the cost of all CBC tests done on free coupons. 

Published in The Express Tribune, October 17^th, 2019.