The dengue epidemic has now spread across the entire country, with several cases reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Sindh on Wednesday, even as the virus continued to rage across Punjab with 142 new cases reported in the province, 132 of which were reported in Lahore.
Another two cases were also reported in Rawalpindi, bringing the total number of dengue patients in the city to 18. According to hospital sources, a resident of Chakwal was brought to the Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Hospital suffering from high fever, where he was diagnosed with dengue. Another 21-year-old was admitted to District Headquarters Hospital with suspected dengue fever.
KP Public Health Deputy Director Zia-ul-Hasnain said so far, 46 suspected cases of dengue had been reported in KP, with three deaths. He said there were three suspected cases in Mahsehra, two in Battagram, five in Abbottabad and 30 in Haripur. The provincial health official said one person had died from dengue in Nowshera, one in Peshawar and one in Mansehra.
The Hayatabad Medical Complex administration also confirmed a case of dengue fever, however the patient’s condition was stated to be stable. Zia-ul-Hasnain said they had focal persons in all the territories concerned and had also directed the Health Executive District Office in these districts to send health officials to the affected areas, adding that isolation wards had been set up in the hospitals, as well as mosquito nets.
Out of the total 46 suspected cases of dengue fever in the province, two cases were confirmed by the Khyber Teaching Hospital administration, one each from Bannu and Peshawar, while provincial health authorities confirmed another 10 cases.
The total number of infected patients in Punjab during the outbreak of the disease this year has reached 1,958, 76 of which were rescue staff. According to the Punjab Health Department, 1,865 patients of dengue have recovered from the disease, while only 93 are currently in various hospitals of the province.
In Lahore, 33 patients were admitted to Mayo Hospital, 15 to Doctors Hospitals, nine to Sheikh Zayed Hospital, seven to Services Hospital, six to Surgimed Hospital, five to National Hospital, four to Jinnah Hospital, three to Punjab Institute of Cardiology and two patients to Ganga Ram Hospital. Eight dengue patients are being provided medical aid in Allied Hospital Faisalabad and only one patient has been admitted to Nishtar Hospital Multan.
President Asif Ali Zardari expressed deep concern over the dengue epidemic on Wednesday and directed the federal government, all provincial governments and authorities concerned to immediately take preventive measures against the disease. He said the federal government should liaise better with the provincial governments and special desks should be set up at all big hospitals.
