PHOTO: APP
An official of Saidu Teaching Hospital (STH) told The Express Tribune that a patient was shifted to a facility in critical condition. “He has been identified as Pardesh,” he said. “He was admitted to the dengue ward and was later shifted to the ICU.”
The case has been reported from Rajaabad on the outskirts of Mingora.
According to the official, around 10 dengue patients, including two women, have been sent home from STH after being successfully treated.
“A large number of cases emerged from areas such as Rajaabad this year,” he said. “Over the past few years, only a small number of cases were reported from this region. However, the area has not been declared dengue-free.”
The official said the virus has spread to areas where it was not prevalent in the past. “Dengue has shifted from sensitive areas to places which were relatively dengue-free in the past,” he said. “This is an alarming sign.”
He urged the district government to take immediate action.
“The district government had imposed Section 144 against the accumulation of freshwater in previous years to prevent the virus from spreading,” he said.
Furthermore, the official pressed the relevant authorities to initiate an awareness campaign.
“People need to take all the necessary precautions against the virus.” He said. “It is an alarming sign when the number of patients suffering from dengue increases beyond a dozen.”
Published in The Express Tribune, September 20th, 2015.
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