Dengue proving increasingly lethal

Lahore records three deaths amid strained capacity of hospital wards

LAHORE:

Dengue fever claimed three lives in Lahore during last 24 hours, raising the death toll from the disease in Punjab during the ongoing month to 20.

Health department officials expressed concern over the increase in the death toll during the past fortnight and advised the people to take precautionary measures. Official data shows that dengue fever has taken 41 lives in the province this year, of which bout half the cases have been recorded in Lahore.

On the other hand, the situation in the city's hospitals appears to be aggravating to an alarming level with patients complaining of unavailability of beds in the dengue wards.

The confirmation of three deaths caused by dengue fever in a day in the provincial capital on Wednesday was the highest figure during the ongoing year.

Data released by the Punjab Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department showed that the three fatalities raised the total recorded death toll during the year to 21 and the province 41 deaths. Besides Lahore, the authorities have recorded 11 deaths caused by the disease in Rawalpindi, showing that residents of the district are also at a high risk from dengue.

At least four deaths have been confirmed in Gujranwala, two in Multan, and one each in Sahiwal and Gujrat districts.

Meanwhile, at least 168 new dengue patients were confirmed in Punjab, including 69 in Lahore, 32 in Multan, 15 in Rawalpindi, 17 in Gujranwala and nine in Faisalabad.

Former chief minister Hamza Shehbaz had reportedly expressed dissatisfaction earlier in the year over arrangements made to prevent the spread of dengue in the province.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, a senior official of the primary and secondary healthcare department said Punjab government had issued a comparison of figures regarding dengue patients and arrangements to defend its performance during the current year.

The official said the dengue situation. during the past month had been alarming, as evident from the spike in the death toll.

"Lahore, Rawalpindi and Gujranwala proved to be high risk districts last month but now Multan and Faisalabad are also on the list," he added.

The official expressed fear that dengue virus had reached almost all districts of the province.

"We have five high-risk districts and there is no doubt that the disease is at its peak in Punjab and we are facing pro Lem's in curbing it," the official added.

He alleged that the situation in Lahore, Multan and Gujranwala showed that the district administrations had not taken seriously their responsibilities to protect the citizens from dengue.

The health department has been continuously seeking cooperation from the local administrations to eradicate dengue larvae.

"Now we are facing a tough situation, especially in Lahore and are again requesting the district administration to take adequate preventive steps against dengue in view of the gravity of the situation," he said.

"We have 815 dengue patients admitted to hospitals in Punjab, including 383 in Lahore. There are issues related to the facilities and arrangements in the hospitals and there have also been complaints of unavailability of beds in the dengue wards," he added.

The official urged the hospital administrators to take notice of the situation.

Punjab Primary and Secondary Healthcare Secretary Irshad Ahmad said 17,624 patients of dengue fever had been registered in Punjab during the ongoing year, of whom 7,583 belonged to Lahore.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 17^th, 2022.