Lethal virus: Two cases of dengue surface in Swat

QWP leader flays district govt for failing to bring virus under control

MINGORA: Two suspected cases of dengue have surfaced in Swat and the patients are being treated at Saidu Teaching Hospital, dengue cell in-charge Syed Mohiuddin told The Express Tribune on Thursday.

“Both patients are in stable condition and are being treated with care,” he said.

Mohiuddin added one of the patients, who was admitted at the facility on Thursday morning, is from Rajabad area of Malookabad in the district.



“He has been identified as Shoukat Ali,” he said. “The second patient is Noor Bacha, a resident of Amni area of Shangla district.”

Better than cure

Mohiuddin said a series of preventative measures have been taken and no more dengue cases are likely to surface in the region.

“We are making a conscientious effort to properly treat patients at the facility,” he said. “Fumigation has also been conducted. However, various parts of Malookabad are yet to be fumigated.”

According to the in charge, people in the area have failed to keep their environment clean.

“Many of them have refused to follow instructions given by health officials who visit the areas,” he said. “As a result, they have faced countless risks.”

Still vulnerable

Fazal Rehman, a Qaumi Watan Party leader in the district, flayed the district government for not taking appropriate measures to bring the virus under control.

“I have informed the district health officer about the prevalence of the virus in the area,” he said. “There were some fumigation drives but vulnerable areas on the outskirts of the district have been ignored.”

Last month, Swat District Health Officer Dr Syed Ali Khan had said he dispatched multiple teams to Saidu Sharif to encourage people to take precautionary measures. The teams visited 19,880 neighbourhoods and disinfected them so that no case of dengue is reported from the region.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 7^th, 2015.