From an Aedes mosquito: More than 300 debilitated by dengue in Swat

Secretary health directs district administration to provide free emergency services, increase fumigation vehicles.

MINGORA:

The number of patients in Swat infected with dengue crossed 300 on Sunday. At least 200 have been admitted at Saidu Teaching Hospital (STH) and more than 100 are being treated at private hospitals.

The information, released by the STH Dengue Cell, stated some 70 patients have been discharged after being treated.

The viral infection has been on the rise in Mingora and has reached the suburbs.  Several cases of the fever have been reported in Koza Bada in Kabal tehsil as well.

Areas affected the most include Mohallah Khona Baba, Malookabad, Rang Mohallah, Bangladesh, and Charbagh and some areas of Matta tehsils.



Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Secretary Health Dr Fakhar Alam met patients at the special dengue ward, accompanied by Medical Superintendent Dr Khurshid Ali, DCO Syed Imtiaz Hussain Gilani, in-charge dengue ward Dr Aziz Ahmad and ACO Farrukh Atiq.

Alam showed concern over the lack of a power supply backup in the midst of frequent electricity outages and directed the hospital administration to ensure an alternative power supply.



The secretary health also ordered the provision of free emergency services. “The government is making use of all available resources and is ready to grant more funds and apparatus.”

In a meeting later, Alam ordered the district administration to conduct fumigation twice a day to help prevent the spread of the virulent infection and to increase the number of fumigation vans.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 26^th, 2013.