4 dengue patients head home after recovery

Patients cannot endure the heavy dosage of an antibiotic, says EDO Health Sukkur.

SUKKUR: Four dengue patients, who were under treatment at different hospitals in Sukkur, have recovered and have left for their homes on Thursday.

A female patient at Ghulam Muhammad Mahar Medical College Hospital is, however, still admitted.

Three patients, Najeeb Mirbahar of Ghotki district, Zahid Hussain Shah of Rohri and Zahida from Miani Road Sukkur, were admitted to Ghulam Muhammad Mahar hospital. Nasir Ali Shaikh of Babarloi, Khairpur district, was admitted to a private hospital while Asadullah, resident of Thehri, Khairpur district, was at Sukkur Hospital. All patients tested positive for dengue.

According to EDO Health Sukkur Dr Tariq Abbas Dareshani, Zahid Hussain and Zahida visited Karachi for eight days and perhaps contracted the virus from there. Zahida is the only patient who is still under treatment, he said, adding that anti-mosquito sprays are being used in the entire city to prevent the spread of the virus.

Dr Dareshani believed that there is no specific treatment for dengue except giving patients pain killers and platelets, if needed. “We cannot give antibiotic to dengue patients because the infection reduces their body’s resistance and they cannot endure the heavy dosage,” he said. Special fever wards have been established in Ghulam Muhammad Mahar hospital and taluka hospitals in Rohri and Pano Aqil, where all required facilities are being provided.

Referring to preventive measures, he suggested that people should not allow water to stand in flower pots, frequently use mosquito repellents and be extra careful around sunrise and sunset. Neighbourhoods should be kept clean and residents should not allow garbage and drain water to accumulate in their area, he added.

The EDO also cancelled the leaves of employees in his department to ensure the fumigation schedule is not disturbed.

Dengue prevention in Hyderabad

In Hyderabad, MNA Tayyab Hussain held a meeting on Tuesday with health officers, taluka administrators and the district administration to discuss the spread of dengue virus. Dr Nadeem Shah, incharge of the dengue campaign, informed the meeting that the virus has been reported positive in 16 districts of Sindh and so far 16 people have died.

EDO Health Hyderabad Dr Bux Ali Pitafi informed that the district government has 18 fumigation machines out of which only nine are working. The department has started a fumigation campaign from October 20 and it will end within five days. He added that the provincial government has recently granted Rs1 million to purchase more fumigation machines.

Isolation ward in Larkana

A fully netted, isolated ward for dengue patients has been established in Chandka Medical College Hospital (CMCH), Larkana. The ward comprises eight beds, four for men and the remaining for women, said CMCH medical superintendent Dr Zulfiqar Ali Siyal after a meeting with department heads on Thursday.

All dengue-related treatment will be available free of charge and Dr Hakim Ali Abro will administer the procedures.

All three heads of medical units will provide treatment to the patients as per their out-patients department days.

The central laboratory has also been given 1,000 special tubes to conduct platelets tests.

In addition to this, two nets will be provided to all three medical units of CMCH and a seminar will be held on Tuesday, November 2, at Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto auditorium to create awareness. Handbills will also be published and consultants will give interviews on radio as well.

Additional input from APP and PPI

Published in The Express Tribune, October 29^th, 2010.