More dengue patients land in hospitals
The arrival of patients suffering from dengue virus from the federal capital territory to the garrison city’s hospitals could not stop as 76 more people have fallen prey to the vector-borne disease in the last 24 hours.
As many as 228 patients are under treatment on 404 beds in the city's three hospitals of which 101 are admitted in Benazir Bhutto General Hospital, 67 are under treatment in Holy Family Hospital and 60 are being treated in District Headquarters Hospital. The total number of dengue-positive patients in three hospitals in the city has reached 134. So far, 1,766 dengue patients have been reported in this season, whereas 41 dengue patients from Islamabad areas are currently admitted to Rawalpindi hospitals
Meanwhile, after the directives issued by Deputy Commissioner Rawalpindi, Tahir Farooq, action is also being taken on violation of dengue SOPs. 33 FIRs, 16 challans and 175 notices were issued to the violators of the SOPs yesterday besides imposing a fine of Rs110,507. 2,146 persons have been brought to book from January 1, 2022, to September 24, on violation of dengue SOPs.
In the city's commercial areas, where larvae were found from the period January 1 to September 24, 7,077 challans and 9,094 notices were issued while 544 buildings were sealed besides imposing fines up to Rs5,448,916 on violation of dengue SOPs.
Dengue virus emerges in Dhok Jumma
On the other hand, the dengue virus has also started to emerge in Dhok Jumma area, where dengue-positive patients are being reported daily.
Local leaders have demanded that the teams from the health department should conduct dengue spray so that the people can get rid of this deadly virus. They suggested that the team of the health department, deployed for dengue awareness in Dhok Jumma, should consist of locals so that they could eradicate dengue more effectively.
They said that there are open ponds in the private housing society near Dhok Jumma in which the mosquitoes carrying the dengue virus are breeding. The society owners have built huge pits to store water in them, which being under the open sky, have turned into nurseries for dengue mosquitoes. They requested the deputy commissioner and the health department officials to take proactive measures to eradicate dengue in Dhok Jumma.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 26th, 2022.