Dengue outbreak: Official death toll reaches 11 in Swat

MINGORA:

The official death toll from dengue virus reached 11 on Friday after two more patients died in Saidu Teaching Hospital.

The two recent deaths are of 65-year-old Shamozay Khan and 20-year-old Azra Iqbal, said hospital spokesperson Dr Wasil Ahmed.

According to another account, Sajjad Ahmed, 24, has also died of dengue which has increased the unofficial death count to 19.

A 100-bed ward has been established for dengue patients by People’s Primary Healthcare Initiatives (PPHI) and the district administration, which is currently accommodating 67 patients.



Talking to The Express Tribune, a monitoring officer at the PPHI, Imran Khan Yousafzai, said the district government has provided fumigation machines, 25 doctors and 30 paramedics along with other hospital staff to assist in treating patients. The doctors will be on duty 24 hours in the new ward of the hospital.

The total number of dengue patients in STH, according to Dr Ahmed, has reached 2,005 after 103 new patients were admitted. Presently, 262 patients are under treatment at the hospital, including four children, 178 men and 80 women.



He further said 93 patients were discharged while 11 are suffering from complications and 10 are in intensive care.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 14^th, 2013.