Spreading like wildfire: Dengue claims two more lives, continues to rake in victims

150 patients discharged after recovery.

SWAT/ ABBOTABAD: Two dengue patients have died at Ayub Medical Complex (AMC) in Abbottabad since Tuesday night, while 18 are still under treatment, official sources said on Wednesday.

Over 150 people diagnosed with the disease have recovered during this season, former medical superintendent of Hazara division’s largest medical facility and sitting focal person of the AMC, Dr Junaid Khan, told The Express Tribune.



Over 500 suspected dengue patients were admitted to AMC from across Hazara division with the onset of the dengue season. According to Dr Khan, 150 of these patients were diagnosed with dengue, 18 of whom are still undergoing treatment. He said that all the other dengue patients have been discharged after full recovery, with the exception of Taj Muhammad, 49, from Bandi Maira, Abbottabad, who died on Tuesday evening and Noreen Bibi, 18, of Mohallah Ramzani Haripur, who succumbed to the virus on Wednesday afternoon. Dr Khan said the two patients were suffering from dengue hemorrhagic fever.

In Mansehra district, over 100 cases of suspected dengue were reported at King Abdullah Teaching Hospital during this season. Two deaths were also reported from the district, but have not been confirmed by the health department as they were not reported from a government facility.

Over 120 suspected cases of dengue have been reported from Battagram and Kohistan districts during the past one and a half month. However, no death has been reported from these areas.

In Haripur, over 70 dengue patients were treated and discharged during this season. Two deaths were reported from the district, but the authorities have declined to confirm them as dengue related, since the victims died at home or private hospitals.

Meanwhile in Swat, the total number of patients has mounted to 8,697 in the district, after 45 new dengue patients were identified on Wednesday.

The number of patients in Saidu Teaching Hospital (STH) reached 4,895, after 33 new dengue victims were admitted to the hospital. “At present, 132 patients including 96 males and 36 females are hospitalised, while 28 patients were discharged on Wednesday after complete recovery,” said STH spokesperson Dr Wasil Ahmad Khan. “Of the admitted patients, 16 are suffering from complications and are under treatment in the intensive care unit,” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 24^th, 2013.