Nurse Asma’s family receives Rs 500,000

Strategy to overcome the viral disease has been formulated for next year.

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif delivered a cheque worth Rs500,000 as assistance to the family members of nurse Asma Kanwal who died while serving dengue patients at the Lahore General Hospital, Principal Post Graduate Medical Institute Professor Tariq Salahuddin said on Friday.

Asma, a 17-year old nursing student, hailed from Kot Addu. Professor Tariq told reporters that despite the fact that dengue was a relatively new disease for doctors, nurses and social organisations, all the groups concerned had done their best to curtail the epidemic.

He said that from September 1 to October 8, around 2,62,950 patients visited the Lahore General Hospital with concerns of dengue.

He said that free dengue tests (CBC) of 1,88,725 patients were conducted. Of them, 5,325 patients were admitted and provided treatment. He added that 5,024 patients were discharged after the treatment and only 263 were still under treatment.

Professor Tariq said that after consultation with Sri Lankan and Indonesian experts and senior faculty members of the hospital, the hospital administration had prepared an elaborate strategy for the next year to curtail the spread of the virus.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 10^th, 2011.