Six cases of dengue appear in Swat

SWAT: The official number of dengue patients has reached six in Swat, officials said on Monday.

Dr Inam, the focal person for Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Dengue Cell, said residents panicked as word spread of patients being admitted to Saidu Sharif Headquarters Hospital. “More and more people are visiting the hospital for check-ups,” he said. “There is no space in the wards and most people are waiting for check-ups in the lawn.”

The government is trying to control the disease and the number of dengue patients should not increase, maintained Dr Inam.

Three patients have already been discharged following medical attention, while three others still remain in the hospital, he informed.

Tasleem Bibi, a dengue patient, complained they were not kept in isolation and were admitted in the same ward as patients suffering from other diseases. “The Punjab government bore most of the expenses for dengue patients, but in Swat I am bearing all the costs myself,” she said, urging the government to provide assistance.

In another recent outbreak, cholera has claimed at least four lives across K-P and Fata as contaminated floodwater infected watercourses, resulting in a myriad of diseases.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 20^th, 2013.