Timely diagnose: Lethargy in the age of dengue, CM suspends official

MS of Holy Family Hospital had not made arrangements for dengue outbreak.

RAWALPINDI:

Prompt action was taken at the Holy Family Hospital on Monday, after suspected dengue fever patients and their relatives complained of inadequate facilities.

Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif was paying an unscheduled visit to the medical facility, where the protest by patients resulted in suspension of Medical Superintendant (MS) Dr Zaman Khan Niazi.

The CM was there to inquire about the health of dengue patients and was inundated by the complaints about unhygienic condition of the hospital. The relatives and attendants of patients also reported the problems they were having in getting blood tested for diagnosing dengue.

Punjab Information Department in its official press release stated that the CM made the MS an officer on special duty (OSD) and directed Commissioner Rawalpindi Zahid Saeed to conduct an inquiry into the complaint of a man who alleged that the doctors recommended different tests to his wife, which were not carried out at the BBH laboratory.

The chief minister, who left the Benazir Bhuttto International Airport for Punjab House, instead arrived at the BBH for inspection. Shahbaz Sharif expressed his displeasure over the unhygienic conditions and over the unsatisfactory response of the MS about his queries regarding the arrangements made to cope with the threat of dengue outbreak.

The CM is said to have expressed his annoyance over the preparations made by the administration of BBH. He observed that the steps taken by the hospital showed that they were not taking the threat seriously.

The chief minister directed the hospital administration to set up a blood-collection counter for dengue patients near the hospital laboratory to facilitate the patients.

Number continues to rise

Meanwhile, the dengue suspects continue to pour in at the three tertiary hospitals of Rawalpindi, as 29 suspected cases were reported at BBH, Holy Family Hospital and District Headquarter Hospital. So far in this season 14 confirmed cases of dengue have been received from the four districts of Rawalpindi division.

Additionally, the official sources in the three allied hospitals said that during the last 24 hours, 29 dengue suspects from different areas of Rawalpindi division have been reported.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 13^th, 2011.