On the rise: Rawalpindi records 36 new dengue cases

Total confirmed count in Rawalpindi crosses 900 mark

ISLAMABAD: As many as 36 dengue fever cases in Rawalpindi city were confirmed on Wednesday taking the total count of confirmed cases reported this year in the city to over 900.

Talking to The Express Tribune, an official in the Rawalpindi health department who requesting anonymity said the spread of dengue fever in Rawalpindi has gone out of control and is also becoming a potential threat for the capital.

He said around 55 confirmed dengue patients are admitted in various hospitals in Islamabad.

“Their admission has created panic among health officials of Islamabad as they are scared it could cause an outbreak there,” he said.

The official said though a team of senior officials from various departments of the Punjab government have come to Rawalpindi to monitor the situation, matters are only getting worse day by day.

The majority of these senior officials are staying in luxury hotels and hold meetings in the morning and are free for the rest of the day, he shared.

“This shows how much the government is serious in controlling the spread of dengue. If they are only here to give directions they should go back to Lahore since they can do the same from there,” he said.

Meanwhile, a health team collected samples from Burhan school and Al-Rehman School, Rawalpindi according to Deputy District Education Officer Amjad Mehmood .

He also shared that a branch of the Beaconhouse School System at Choor Chowk barred a health department team from entering to collect samples.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 8^th, 2015.