Post-polls dengue new challenge for PPP

Viral Hemorrhagic Fever (VHF), which is commonly known as dengue fever, is likely to hit Karachi after Lahore as the number of dengue patients in increasing with each passing day and the Sindh health department lacks enough funds to provide every dengue patient with treatment facilities at government expenses.
So far, 114 cases of dengue fever have been reported from Sindh in the current year and 133 of them belonged to Karachi alone. On May 16, 11 cases of dengue fever were reported from the city.
Karachi is likely to be in the grip of deadly fever but the government has not made satisfactory arrangements to cope up with any untoward situation as happened in Punjab last year.
There is acute shortage of platelets bags and diagnosis kits in the public healthcare units and people are forced to move to private hospitals for treatment. The provincial government has set up isolation wards in five Sindh government and one Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC)-run hospitals for the dengue patients but no dengue patient prefers to go to the public healthcare centers which lack treatment facilities for them.
To overview the treatment facilities, Pakistan Today conducted a survey of two government-run hospitals – Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK) and Sindh Government Hospital Liaquatabad (SGHL) – and KMC-run Abbasi Shaheed Hospital (ASH). Although the hospital administration arranged isolation wards in these hospitals, no doctor or paramedic staff was deputed to make these wards functional.
Starting from the CHK, which is assumed as the province’s largest healthcare facility center, no body knew where the dengue ward was but the official staff. Interestingly, the government has established its dengue surveillance cell in the hospital where CHK Medical Superintendent (DMS) Dr Shan-e-Alam has been entrusted to monitor the situation.
The DMS said the hospital had managed a ward for dengue patients in Government Services Hospital (SGSH). When this scribe reached the CHK dengue isolation ward in SGSH, only one doctor and a nurse were present there. The doctor, who introduced, himself as Dr Farooque, told Pakistan Today that he was deputed in the ward few months ago but no patient had come here since he had assumed the charge. He said he had requested the CHK high-ups to transfer him to any other ward as the dengue patients were reluctant to visit government hospitals due to lack of facilities.
The situation at SGHL was also not much different from that of CHK’s. There was no isolation ward in the hospital and the patients were being treated in medical wards.
However, the SGHL MS said the hospital had eight-bed separate unit for the dengue patients. They had made separate arrangements for patients suffering from VHF, Sheikh said, adding the isolation ward was equipped with all necessary arrangement to cope up with any untoward situation.
Later on, this scribe also visited KMC-controlled ASH. The hospital management had allotted separate ward for the dengue patient at first floor of the healthcare facility but it was also found empty. An official of ASH, who wished not to be named, told that an employee of the hospital was diagnosed with VHF few months before but he was forced to visit other hospital for treatment due to lack of facilities for dengue patients in ASH.
When approached, Nuresh, who served in ASH IT department and suffered from VHF few months back, confirmed that he was diagnosed with dengue fever few days back. “I got treatment from Dow University of Health Sciences, Ojha Campus,” he said. However, when asked why he preferred other hospital to ASH, he said, “He will not comment against management of the hospital.”
Dengue Surveillance Cell Sindh (DSCS) Focal Person and CHK Additional Medical Superintendent Dr M Shakil Mullick said dengue situation in Sindh was under control. “There are five government-run hospitals and one KMC controlled hospital where Sindh government have facilitated isolation wards for the patients suffering from dengue. These hospitals include CHK, SGHL, Lyari General Hospital (LGH), Sindh Government Hospital Saudabad (SGHS) and Sindh Government Hospital Korangi (SGHK). While KMC-controlled Abbasi Shaheed Hospital (ASH) has also an isolation ward where state-of-the-art facilities have bee provided to thwart any emergent situation,” he Mullick defended.
When asked about function of isolation wards in public hospitals and number of patients admitted and facilitated till date, he was answerless. “Most of the VHF patients visit out-patient departments (OPDs) and prefer to complete the VHF medication at homes,” he justified.
Dr Mullick, who also enjoys the charge of CHK AMS, said the hospital had managed to spare a ward in Sindh Government Services Hospital. It is a 10-bed isolation ward but there was no patient, he said, adding there were few patients admitted to medical wards of CHK and they do not need to be transferred to the isolation ward. “If a patient is stable, he or she is not required to be shifted in isolation ward as it does not cause harm to others,” he added.
Rejecting the reports of low funds, Sindh Secretary Health Dr Suresh Kumar said the provincial government had enough facilities to cater the need of dengue patients in this season. He said the provincial government was importing diagnose kits and platelets bag to cope up with any emergent situation.
Dengue situation in Sindh was under control and they the people were well-informed about the signs and symptoms of this deadly disease, the secretary said.