At present, there are 240 patients hospitalised at STH, including 178 males and 62 females. PHOTO: FILE
The number of dengue patients reached 178 in Malakand Agency on Sunday. However, officials of the health department maintain the spread of the infection in the division has been contained and awareness programmes are underway.
At a meeting at the deputy commissioner’s (DC) office in Mingora on Sunday, Swat DC Farrukh Ateeq claimed the public awareness campaign has helped in controlling the dengue epidemic
Committees have been made at the Union Council (UC) level under directives of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) health minister, shared Ateeq. Around 3,500 teams in nine UCs are involved in the awareness campaign with the help of local elders. Anti-dengue spray has been used in more than 31,000 houses, he added.
In addition to the elders, students, civil society members, political volunteers and humanitarian organisations are also playing an active role in the anti-dengue drive.
“We will try our best to eliminate dengue from Swat forever. Up to 500,000 awareness pamphlets have already been distributed among the general public with good results,” said the Swat DC. “After October 15, the breeding of dengue mosquitoes will stop.”
Earlier, K-P Minister for Health Shaukat Yousafzai paid a follow-up visit to Saidu Teaching Hospital (STH). Another 87 new patients were admitted to STH on Sunday, while 72 were discharged. The total count of patients received by the hospital has reached 3,646.
At present, there are 240 patients hospitalised at STH, including 178 males and 62 females.
According to the district health office, the total count in the entire district has mounted to 6,969, including 4,779 males and 2,190 females.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 30th, 2013.
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