Pindi sees record 74 dengue cases in single day

Official says large number of patients land in health facilities

RAWALPINDI:

The  dengue  fever  cases were continuously increasing, and Rawalpindi has listed 74 more dengue cases  during  the  last  24  hours, the highest single-
day rise this year.

District Coordinator Epidemics Prevention and Control (DCEPC), Dr Sajjad Mehmood, Thursday  said that  the  number  of  dengue  fever  patients  at district health  facilities  was continuously  increasing  while the district government, along  with  the district  health  authority and  others  had  made  arrangements to control the situation.

During the last 24 hours, 74  patients  had  been  confirmed with the fatal disease,  out of which 57 belonged to Rawalpindi and  the  remaining  from  
other  districts,  he  said,  adding  that  132  patients  were  admitted  to  three hospitals  in  the  city,  including 52 to the Holy Family Hospital and  40  each  to the  District  Headquarters and Benazir Bhutto Hospital.

Meanwhile,  Additional  Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Headquarter Marzia Saleem,  while  presiding  over  a  meeting  to  review  dengue arrangements, directed  the  officials  concerned to register FIRs against commercial building owners  if  dengue  larvae  were  found  on  their premises.

She  said  that the prevailing weather was most suitable for breeding dengue larvae;  there  was  a  need  to  remain  vigilant to  prevent  the  spread  of larvae.

Saleem directed the health officials to expedite anti-dengue  surveillance activities for tracing larvae and their eradication. She asked the officials concerned to conduct field  visits  regularly  to  check  the  performance of  the  anti-dengue  teams,  adding that no negligence would be tolerated in this regard. 

On Wednesday, as many as 143 patients were admitted to three hospitals in the city, out of which 72 tested dengue positive.

District  Coordinator  of  Epidemics Prevention and Control (DCEPC), Dr Sajjad Mehmood said that 70 patients  were  admitted  to  Holy  Family  Hospital,  40 to District  Headquarters Hospital and 33 to Benazir Bhutto Hospital.