Alarming situation: Swat in grip of dengue scare
Unofficial data suggests number of people affected may be over 10,000.
Unofficial data suggests number of people affected may be over 10,000. PHOTO: FILE
MINGORA:
Over 2,000 cases of dengue virus infection have been confirmed in Swat on Sunday, as the virus claimed its first victim in the valley.
A 16-year-old girl succumbed to dengue fever in a private hospital in Mingora on Sunday. Talking to reporters, the girl’s father, Sirajuddin, said he got her admitted to the hospital three days after she was diagnosed to be infected by the virus. Her condition began to worsen Sunday morning. “Her fever climbed and she began to cough up blood. She passed away within no time,” Siraj said.
According to the data collected on Sunday from the District Health Office, over 1,000 patients, including 180 women, affected by dengue since the outbreak, have been admitted to the Saidu Teaching Hospital (STH). Nearly 600 of the patients have been discharged from STH after complete recovery.
The DHO said some people are also receiving treatment at home or at private hospitals. The district authorities have made all necessary arrangements at STH where diagnostic tests for the disease are being conducted free of charge.
Unofficial data gathered by youth activists from the public hospital and private clinics puts the number of denuge cases at over 10,000. However, the figure could not be corroborated by official sources.
On Friday, Swat Assistant Commissioner Farukh Ateeq told the media that the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government had allocated Rs40 million for emergency treatment of patients infected by dengue, and Rs5 million more for the diagnosis of more cases.
Ateeq further said that district health department officials and lady health workers will visit houses and collect detailed information regarding those affected in the district.
“The staff will not only collect the data but will also distribute informative pamphlets about dengue at each house,” he said, adding that the awareness campaign will conclude by Monday and they will have the updated statistics.
On August 29, the STH spokesperson Dr Shah Dawran revealed that three cases of dengue have been reported from Bajaur, two from Dir and five from the neighbouring district of Shangla.
Officials in Swat are working round-the-clock to keep the virus from spreading further, it is reported.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 2nd, 2013.
Over 2,000 cases of dengue virus infection have been confirmed in Swat on Sunday, as the virus claimed its first victim in the valley.
A 16-year-old girl succumbed to dengue fever in a private hospital in Mingora on Sunday. Talking to reporters, the girl’s father, Sirajuddin, said he got her admitted to the hospital three days after she was diagnosed to be infected by the virus. Her condition began to worsen Sunday morning. “Her fever climbed and she began to cough up blood. She passed away within no time,” Siraj said.
According to the data collected on Sunday from the District Health Office, over 1,000 patients, including 180 women, affected by dengue since the outbreak, have been admitted to the Saidu Teaching Hospital (STH). Nearly 600 of the patients have been discharged from STH after complete recovery.
The DHO said some people are also receiving treatment at home or at private hospitals. The district authorities have made all necessary arrangements at STH where diagnostic tests for the disease are being conducted free of charge.
Unofficial data gathered by youth activists from the public hospital and private clinics puts the number of denuge cases at over 10,000. However, the figure could not be corroborated by official sources.
On Friday, Swat Assistant Commissioner Farukh Ateeq told the media that the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government had allocated Rs40 million for emergency treatment of patients infected by dengue, and Rs5 million more for the diagnosis of more cases.
Ateeq further said that district health department officials and lady health workers will visit houses and collect detailed information regarding those affected in the district.
“The staff will not only collect the data but will also distribute informative pamphlets about dengue at each house,” he said, adding that the awareness campaign will conclude by Monday and they will have the updated statistics.
On August 29, the STH spokesperson Dr Shah Dawran revealed that three cases of dengue have been reported from Bajaur, two from Dir and five from the neighbouring district of Shangla.
Officials in Swat are working round-the-clock to keep the virus from spreading further, it is reported.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 2nd, 2013.