Dengue refuses to ebb in Punjab

Over 220 fresh cases confirmed province-wide

LAHORE:

The Punjab health authorities have failed to rein in dengue fever in the province as the number of patients continues to grow.

Official data shows that 223 new dengue cases were confirmed across the province during the past 24 hours. The dengue wards of government hospitals witnessed a steady registration of patients.

The worst situation was faced in Lahore, 95 patients were confirmed in hospitals. The spread of the disease is at its peak in Punjab with the authorities concerned apparently unable to overcome the problem.

Health officials had claimed earlier that the number of dengue patients would decrease after the winter began, but the figure has continued increasing with 223 cases confirmed by the monitoring section of the primary and secondary healthcare department.

According to the officials, the number of fresh patients was high in almost all big districts, including Gujarnwala, Sheikhupura, Multan and Faisalabad.

The department registered 95 dengue patients in Lahore, 37 in Multan, 28 in Gujranwala, 20 in Faisalabad and 18 in Gujranwala.

As many as 12,268 dengue cases have been confirmed in Punjab during the ongoing year. Lahore has recorded the highest number of patients during the year at 5,412, followed by 2,533 in Rawalpindi, 1,215 in Multan, 1,200 in Gujranwala, 653 in Faisalabad and 193 in the Sheikhupura district.

However, the fever caused by dengue mosquito bite had spread to almost every district, causing a rush of patients in the outpatient departments and dengue wards of hospitals.

Read: 181 new dengue cases reported

A health official said while speaking to The Express Tribune that it was evident that the relevant departments had failed to prevent the spread of dengue in the province.

He alleged that the officials responsible for the situation were misleading the government as well as the citizens.

He said there had also been mismanagement at the level of local administration in ensuring fumigation, alleging that the spray had not been carried out at a number of hotspots of dengue risk.

He alleged that the anti-dengue teams had shown poor performance during the ongoing year, resulting in the current situation.

The official said the pressure of coping with the situation was now being faced by the hospitals that had already been struggling to treat patients with ailments caused by smog.

He expressed fear the number of patients in the dengue wards might increase in the coming days, adding that the government should take measures in this regard.

"There are 173 dengue patients admitted to hospitals in Punjab, of whom 80 are in Lahore," announced Punjab Primary and Secondary Healthcare Secretary Ali Jan Khan.

He urged the citizens to focus on maintaining cleanliness in their localities and cooperate with the anti-dengue teams.

He said the citizens could also help create awareness about dengue fever while remaining updated from a helpline being operated by the government for the purpose.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 17^th, 2023.