Unprepared?: Govt denies four dengue cases in Swat
Issues handout refuting media reports of four patients at STH .
MINGORA:
A case of dengue fever was reportedly detected in Swat on Thursday, taking the valley’s count to four this year. The provincial government, however, denies the reports, stating no cases have been confirmed so far.
According to a handout issued on Friday, on the directives of Minister for Health Shahram Khan Tarakai, Health Services Director General Dr Abdul Waheed Burki, Malaria Control Programme Project Director Dr Fahim and other officials of the provincial health department visited the hospitals of Swat and Batkhela, Malakand to review the situation of the reported dengue cases.
After meeting with the hospitals’ managements and thoroughly reviewing the situation, Malaria Control Programme’s Dr Fahim issued a statement clarifying that the patients in Swat are suspected to be dengue patients, not confirmed.
“Out of the four, two were cases of regular fever and were discharged after treatment,” the statement read.
“The remaining two are still under treatment in the hospital. One of them has recently arrived from Malaysia and the other is from Lahore, and their blood samples have been sent to Islamabad for a laboratory test,” the statement added, quoting Dr Fahim.
The doctor said the situation would be clear when the test reports come back in a few days.
The statement further quoted Dr Fahim as “strongly refuting” media reports of four dengue cases in Swat, and claimed only two were suspected cases and can only be confirmed with the test results of blood samples taken.
“As per the directives of the health minister, the health department has taken all necessary precautionary measures to deal with the possible outbreak of dengue in the province,” the statement added.
However, according to sources at Saidu Teaching Hospital (STH), on Thursday, the presence of the dengue virus was confirmed in a patient identified as Sahibzada, a resident of Bara Bandai.
Sahibzada is receiving medical aid in the dengue cell of STH.
The hospital source claimed four dengue patients are being treated at the hospital at the moment.
The recent emergence in dengue cases in Swat has sent a wave of concern among locals who expressed discontent with inadequate arrangements made by the district government against a possible outbreak similar to the one that wreaked havoc in the district last year.
According to the official count, nearly 70 people died in Swat last year in a widespread outbreak of the disease, while the unofficial count pitched the figure even higher. Over 10,000 people were infected by the disease and the STH established a separate cell to cater to dengue patients.
The disease also spread to Shangla, the neighbouring district.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 28th, 2014.
A case of dengue fever was reportedly detected in Swat on Thursday, taking the valley’s count to four this year. The provincial government, however, denies the reports, stating no cases have been confirmed so far.
According to a handout issued on Friday, on the directives of Minister for Health Shahram Khan Tarakai, Health Services Director General Dr Abdul Waheed Burki, Malaria Control Programme Project Director Dr Fahim and other officials of the provincial health department visited the hospitals of Swat and Batkhela, Malakand to review the situation of the reported dengue cases.
After meeting with the hospitals’ managements and thoroughly reviewing the situation, Malaria Control Programme’s Dr Fahim issued a statement clarifying that the patients in Swat are suspected to be dengue patients, not confirmed.
“Out of the four, two were cases of regular fever and were discharged after treatment,” the statement read.
“The remaining two are still under treatment in the hospital. One of them has recently arrived from Malaysia and the other is from Lahore, and their blood samples have been sent to Islamabad for a laboratory test,” the statement added, quoting Dr Fahim.
The doctor said the situation would be clear when the test reports come back in a few days.
The statement further quoted Dr Fahim as “strongly refuting” media reports of four dengue cases in Swat, and claimed only two were suspected cases and can only be confirmed with the test results of blood samples taken.
“As per the directives of the health minister, the health department has taken all necessary precautionary measures to deal with the possible outbreak of dengue in the province,” the statement added.
However, according to sources at Saidu Teaching Hospital (STH), on Thursday, the presence of the dengue virus was confirmed in a patient identified as Sahibzada, a resident of Bara Bandai.
Sahibzada is receiving medical aid in the dengue cell of STH.
The hospital source claimed four dengue patients are being treated at the hospital at the moment.
The recent emergence in dengue cases in Swat has sent a wave of concern among locals who expressed discontent with inadequate arrangements made by the district government against a possible outbreak similar to the one that wreaked havoc in the district last year.
According to the official count, nearly 70 people died in Swat last year in a widespread outbreak of the disease, while the unofficial count pitched the figure even higher. Over 10,000 people were infected by the disease and the STH established a separate cell to cater to dengue patients.
The disease also spread to Shangla, the neighbouring district.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 28th, 2014.