Awareness drive about the dengue fever is actively going on. PHOTO: FILE
While the Pakistani nation was observing the 65th Independence Day in August, a menace loomed over the heads of the people of Swat in the form of dengue fever. The dengue virus spread faster than militancy, with thousands of patients caught in the grip of dengue virus in areas adjacent to Lower Dir, Malakand and Mardan districts.
Official data shows that, since August, there have been 5,500 patients registered in Swat. Out of these, 289 are still in hospitals. The unofficial count has crossed 9,500.
According to official reports, the dengue virus has so far claimed 18 lives while the count spirals to 32 when it comes to unofficial accounts.
Officials fear that if effective steps are not taken soon to stop the spread of the disease, the coming winter season will see a much higher number of patients.
The K-P government, since the onset of the epidemic, has established a special High Dependency Unit in the Saidu Teaching Hospital (STH) where, according to the district health department, the affected patients are being treated and facilitated free of cost. When the count of the dengue patients reached 2,000 in the district, health emergency was imposed in Swat.
An official at the district health office told The Express Tribune that the provincial government has provided doctors and given all necessary medicines free of charge to all.
“Focused on prevention, we are sending lady health workers to every house in order to educate people on preventing the disease. Of those who are coming in to get a blood test, about 30% people carry the virus,” he said.
Awareness drive about the dengue fever is actively going on in which civil society organisations are assisting the district government.
Apart from K-P health minister’s frequent visits to STH, the chief minister, PTI chairman Imran Khan and other government officials have also paid visits to Swat to follow up the arrangements regarding dengue fever.
A high-level official in the provincial health secretariat denied that there is shortage of staff, equipment or finances to deal with dengue. “More funds will be released in the coming days,” he said.
However, many people complain of not having free treatment. “My daughter’s platelet count has fallen to 10,000. She needed plasma which I bought from the market as it was not available in the hospital,” said Riaz Khan, father of a patient in STH.
The provincial government also claims to have spared five million rupees for dengue patients while 40 million rupees have been issued for the emergency treatment of the dengue-affected patients in the district.
Initially, fumigation campaigns were conducted regularly; however, they seem to have faded out.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 29th, 2013.
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