Dengue risk rises along with Covid

People avoiding hospitals, lax surveillance may be affecting data

LAHORE:

At a time when the second wave of Covid-19 is at its peak in the province, dengue fever has emerged as another health hazard with thousands of suspected patients reported in various areas.

Health department sources said the number of suspected dengue patients was increasing.

The sources said the department was focusing entirely on novel coronavirus while steps planned to counter the spread of dengue fever were being ignored.

Due to lack of interest of the authorities concerned, dengue counters set up at several hospitals have been shut.

Dengue surveillance and awareness campaigns have also ended and a large number of workers assigned the duties remain absent.

An official of the Punjab Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department said the fight against coronavirus as well as dengue fever needed to be pursued with urgency. He said the months of November and December were important to curb dengue fever.

Although the number of confirmed dengue patients is low in Punjab this year, thousands of people suspected to be suffering from the disease have reportedly sought treatment.

In the beginning of the dengue season the Punjab government actively took action for the prevention of the disease and an awareness campaign was also started but now when the number of patients complaining of its symptoms is increasing, the authorities appear to be focusing on novel coronavirus.

A number of workers at the union council level are reportedly neglecting their duty to carry out a campaign against dengue larvae.

A health department official said, “The government appears to be satisfied because it is getting reports that the number of patients confirmed to have dengue fever is not high. However, due to fear of coronavirus the people are avoiding to visit hospitals. Dengue claimed hundreds of lives in recent years and thousands of people suffered from the fever. The lack of dengue counters, surveillance and reporting may be a reason for the lower number of patients being claimed this year.”

The official said December was important regarding dengue fever risk and the provincial government should take action against the departments and their sections that were not taking the issue seriously.

However, provincial health department spokesperson Sayed Hamad Raza said

dengue was under control as a result of steps being taken by the government and there was no major threat.

He said the district health authorities were alert and dengue counters had been set up in all hospitals.

The spokesman claimed that the number of dengue cases in Punjab was decreasing. “Dengue and coronavirus were two big challenges for the health department and it is appreciable that we controlled dengue fever.”

Dr Abdul Basit, a former medical superintendent of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, said people should remain careful regarding symptoms of dengue fever during next month.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 27^th, 2020.