Dengue on the rise in Pindi

At least 34 new dengue cases were reported in Rawalpindi in the last 24 hours, while three patients were stated to be in critical condition.

Currently, 162 dengue patients were admitted to the Benazir Bhutto Hospital, the Holy Family Hospital and the District Headquarters Hospital, health officials said adding that 501 citizens have so far been infected by the mosquito-borne disease and of them, 423 have successfully recovered.

Sources said that most dengue patients admitted to the allied hospitals were either from Islamabad or adjoining areas of Rawalpindi.

According to the health officials, 108 dengue cases have surfaced in Rawalpindi Cantonment, 55 in Potohar Town, two in Kahuta, 11 each in Kotli Sattian, Taxila Cantonment and Taxila rural area.

Read Hospitals get more beds amid dengue spike

The district administration has directed anti-dengue surveillance teams to increase inspection at tyre shops, junkyards and under-construction buildings to eliminate the dengue larvae.

Meanwhile, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Deputy Director Muhammad Rafique said on Saturday that the agency during the anti-dengue drive inspected 635 sites and sealed seven premises in different areas of the cantonment area during the last one week.

During the inspection of dengue breeding sites, the deputy director said, 308 tyre shops and 327 junkyards were checked in the areas of Range Road, Dhoke Syedan, Madina Town, Awan Town, Naseerabad, Chaklala, Tamasabad, Allama Iqbal colony and Dhoke Mustaqeem.

He said that the inspection teams issued notices to 46 owners of different holdings, registered FIRs against three violators and sealed seven units where SOPs regarding dengue were not being followed.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 3^rd, 2021.