LAHORE: The health authorities are facing the return of a difficult challenge as Pakistan witnesses a considerable uptick in the number of cases being reported.
An upsurge of dengue hemorrhagic fever cases has been reported in the federal capital territory as 32 new cases of the disease surfaced in last 24 hours on Sunday.
According to sources, 17 cases of dengue viral fever reported in rural area and 15 cases in urban areas of the federal capital.
“In the ongoing season 177 dengue fever cases have been reported in Islamabad so far, sources said. “In rural areas 123 and in urban areas of Islamabad 54 dengue virus cases have been reported”, sources said.
Moreover, most patients of the dengue hemorrhagic fever cases have been admitted at hospitals in Rawalpindi.
Dengue virus has claimed two lives during this season in Islamabad, according to the sources. “Both patients succumbed by the disease in this season were residents of Ghouri Town Phase-IV in Islamabad,” sources said.
According to INP, delay in fumigation by the administration was resulted in upsurge in dengue patients this season.
Furthermore, 90 cases of dengue virus have been reported across Punjab over the past 24 hours, said the provincial health department, adding that 81 of these cases were reported in Lahore alone.
The total tally of dengue virus cases this year have surged to 1,082 whereas 905 cases in total have been reported from Lahore this year.
Meanwhile, A total of 10 dengue patients are under treatment in Hayat Medical Complex said the spokesman on Sunday.
He said in the last 24 hours two new cases were admitted and same numbers dengue patients were discharged.
All dengue patients are being treated in the medical ward of the hospital as per protocol and for whom all arrangements have been made accordingly to deal with the emergency situation as well, he added.
A day earlier, Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department Secretary Imran Sikandar Baloch urged the people to adopt precautionary measures against dengue.
In a statement on Saturday, he appealed to the people to take special care of cleanliness and no garbage should be thrown in open places, adding that people should be more responsible in preventing dengue during monsoon and rainwater should not be accumulated in residential areas.
He appealed to all the religious scholars to inform the worshipers coming to the mosques about the prevention of dengue. “Be a responsible citizen by keeping your surroundings neat and clean” he said. He maintained that the public was requested to extend full cooperation to the Health department teams if they come to your home or business centers for the checking of dengue larvae, as dengue could be fatal and was a very dangerous fever which could cause death.
During last 24 hours, 73 dengue patients were reported from Punjab and 60 patients were reported from Lahore, 11 from Rawalpindi whereas 1 patient each from Multan and Narowal.
During this year total 992 confirmed cases of dengue had been reported from Punjab and out of all confirmed patients, 824 patients had been reported from Lahore. At present a total of 66 patients were admitted across Punjab out of which 48 dengue patients were admitted in the hospitals of Lahore while 17 patients were admitted in hospitals of Rawalpindi.
On Saturday, 353,737 indoor and 81,409 outdoor locations were checked across Punjab, while larvae were destroyed from 140 locations. In Lahore 6,007 indoor and 3,441 outdoor places were checked for dengue larvae and 69 positive containers were destroyed.
People have demanded the government take adequate measures to stem the disease from spreading further.
