Lahore witnesses dengue spike
DESIGN: MOHSIN ALAM
The provincial capital witnessed a spike in cases of dengue fever on Wednesday with 126 new patients reported within 24 hours.
The total number of dengue fever cases reported in Punjab during the past 24 ,hours was 131.
Since the beginning of the year, 736 patients of the fever have been reported in the province but the disease has spread rapidly during the ongoing month, especially in Lahore. The situation has worsened despite announcements by the health department about efforts made to protect citizens from the disease.
Amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, dengue fever is also proving to be a big challenge for the Punjab government.
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Data released by the Punjab Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department confirmed the alarming figure of 131 patients of dengue fever brought to hospitals in the province, with as many as 126 of them in Lahore.
“During this a total 736 people have been found suffering from dengue fever in the province, but as 623 of them belonged to Lahore,” Punjab Primary and Secondary Healthcare Secretary Imran Sikandar Baloch said on Wednesday.
“At the moment, 19 confirmed dengue patients are admitted to hospitals in Lahore, 20 in Rawalpindi and two in Multan,” he added.
The official said the authorities had inspected 348,421 indoor and 77,670 outdoor places during the past day and cleared 127 of them of dengue larva.
“In Lahore our dengue monitoring teams cleaned 94 places during checking of spots across the city,” he said.
Imran Baloch stressed the need for public cooperation to overcome the threat of dengue fever.
He especially requested religious scholars to spread awareness among worshippers in mosques about the need to save themselves from dengue mosquitoes along with coronavirus.
He said the people should keep their homes and localities clean and not let water pool in their areas.
A former medical superintendent of Sir Gangs Ram Hospital, Dr Abdul Basit, told The Express Tribune that the current season, especially the next two months, was a crucial period for the spread of dengue fever.
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He said there was need for both the government and the citizens to take the threat seriously as the dengue situation this year could turn dangerous.
The doctor said the fever had spread in the country in earlier years and claimed a large number of lives and it appeared that the disease was spreading again.
“The government should actively strive to stop the spread of dengue, while the people should also take the required steps to protect themselves,” he added.
On the other hand, the provincial department’s spokesperson Syed Hammad Raza insisted, “ The government is aware of the situation regarding spread of dengue fever and the health minister has held many meetings during the past few days to discuss plans to tackle the disease.”
He said the health ministry had already advised all hospitals to set up dengue counters and wards.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 24th, 2021.