Taking its toll: Nine more diagnosed with dengue
Dengue is taking its toll as nine fresh cases surfaced in Rawalpindi and Abbottabad district on Thursday.
Two confirmed case of dengue were reported in District Headquarter Hospital (DHQ) Rawalpindi, while five suspected dengue patients were admitted in Holy Family Hospital (HFH) Rawalpindi.
Seven confirmed cases of dengue were reported in Abbottabad district.
The blood report of one of the patient in DHQ Rawalpindi, identified as the wife of Additional District and Sessions Judge Amjad Nazeer Chaudhry, was sent to the National Institute of Health (NIH) on Wednesday which returned positive for dengue.
Sources in the DHQ Hospital informed The Express Tribune that Chaudhry’s wife was getting treatment from a private hospital in the city and only sent blood samples through DHQ to be tested for dengue. The second patient is a young medical officer at DHQ, who has been diagnosed with dengue by a private lab and not by the NIH.
The DHQ hospital is currently treating seven suspected dengue fever patients, they added.
HFH Deputy Medical Superintendent Dr Javaid Hayat said that with the addition of five new suspected patients of dengue the hospital has so far received 48 patients, of which three have tested positive for the disease. Of the confirmed cases, two were from Rawalpindi and one from Nowshehra, he added.
Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH) has so far received nine patients suspected of dengue fever; however, none have been diagnosed with dengue.
Senior doctors of the three hospitals — BBH, HFH and DHQ Hospital — said that 12 blood reports of suspected dengue patients are still awaited from the NIH.
Seven test positive for dengue in Hazara
Of the seven patients diagnosed with dengue in Abbottabad district, five belong to Mansehra, one to Battagram and another came to Abbottabad from Lahore, doctors said. Moreover, blood samples of over two dozen suspected patients were sent to National Institute of Health (NIH) for tests on Thursday.
Sources in Ayub Medical Complex Abbottabad said the dengue fever patient from Lahore was visiting Abbottabad during Eid holidays. The patient was admitted with high fever and was later discharged by the hospital after a full recovery.
Executive District Officer (EDO) Health Dr Muhammad Zafeer said that not a single person has been diagnosed with dengue from Abbottabad district and the reported cases are from surrounding areas.
He said three dengue patients were undergoing treatment in public sector hospitals in the district, while the remaining four were discharged after fully recovering.
He said that one suspected patient is admitted at the DHQ Hospital while a few others were under observation at Ayub Medical Complex.
Rawalpindi rural areas without adequate facilities
A senior doctor working in rural Rawalpindi District for past nine years said basic health units (BHUs) and rural health centres (RHCs) in the district lack the basic facilities needed to treat people with dengue fever.
They lack diagnostic kits, isolation wards, required medicines and mosquito nets. Many patients showing dengue symptoms visit these facilities but due to the unqualified medical staff, they cannot be diagnosed for this disease or even malaria, he said.
“It is unfortunate that many patients die as their disease reaches the last stage, and at that time they are being referred to big hospitals. Also, the deaths from dengue often remain unreported,” he added.
Meeting
The Islamabad administration on Wednesday had a meeting to plan strategies to cope with the dengue outbreak in Punjab and avoid any untoward situation in Islamabad.
Islamabad Deputy Commissioner (DC) Amir Ali Ahmed said that emphasis will be on prevention through creating awareness and World Health Organization (WHO) pamphlets that thoroughly cover these aspects will be published and distributed. Beside this, the prevention of dengue will be included in school curriculum, and fumigation will be done in 131 villages and 12 union councils, he added.
President takes notice of the situation
President Asif Ali Zardari has shown grave concern over the spread of dengue fever in the country and the loss of human lives in this pandemic.
He directed all the federal government agencies, the provincial governments and other authorities concerned to take immediate preventive measures to curtail the spread of dengue. He directed the federal and provincial governments to strengthen their liaison.
With additional input by Sehrish Wasif
Published in The Express Tribune, September 9th, 2011.
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