A paramedic takes blood sample from a man at Saidu Teaching Hospital in the open air without adopting sanitary precautions. The dengue outbreak in Swat district has so far claimed 11 lives while thousands are infected . PHOTO: INP
The unofficial death toll from dengue reached 23 on Saturday after four more people reportedly died of the virus in Swat.
Amir Hussain, Mohammad Ameen, Abdul Ahmad and Haji Dilbar – residents of Malookabad – died of dengue fever, according to unofficial reports. Saidu Teaching Hospital spokesperson Dr Wasil Ahmed, however, did not confirm the casualties.
Dr Wisal said 135 new patients have been admitted to the hospital after the virus was confirmed in them, taking the total number of patients at STH to 2,140. “At present, 273 patients including 15 children were hospitalised, while 86 more patients were discharged after recovering from the disease. The number of cured patients has now reached 1,620.”
Dr Wisal said 15 patients were suffering from complications and two among them were in shock, while 10 were being kept in the intensive care unit (ICU). One patient has been referred to Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar, he added.
According to the health department, the total number of dengue patients in Swat has reached 4,200. Seven doctors are also among those infected. Medical reports indicate the epidemic will lose its grip over the area after October 15 when the weather turns cold.
Meanwhile, a meeting was held between officials of the health department and private clinical laboratories under the chair of caretaker district commissioner Farukh Ateeq.
Health department officials asked owners of private laboratories to hand out informative brochures with the results of every test to spread awareness about dengue. The district health officer also directed lab owners not to suggest any treatment to the patients.
As part of precautionary measures, the district administration has changed the timings of educational institutes to 9:30am-2:30pm – so students may avoid Aedes mosquitoes, which are most active just after dawn.
Growing radius
Malakand Agency, which is adjacent to Swat, has also been affected by the outbreak, with the virus confirmed in 18 patients till Saturday.
District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital, Batkhela Medical Superintendent Dr Ayub Khan said 18 patients including one from Uchh area of Lower Dir were shifted to the hospital and diagnosed with dengue. He added an emergency has been declared at all government medical units in the agency.
In-charge of the dengue ward at DHQ, Batkhela Dr Fazal Rahim said the hospital is well-equipped to tackle the virus, maintaining two separate wards along with private rooms have been allocated for the purpose. He said the medical staff has cancelled their vacations and are working round-the-clock to stop the disease from spreading in the area. “If this disease isn’t curtailed in Malakand, it will spread to the whole of K-P,” he said, adding women and children are among those infected.
Dr Rahim said eight patients are presently admitted at the hospital, while 10 people have been discharged with directions to contact doctors in case of any emergency.
Focal person on dengue Dr Yousaf and Malakand District Health Officer Muhammad Ali both vowed to utilise all available resources to implement corrective measures and spread awareness regarding the debilitating disease.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 15th, 2013.
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