LAHORE, Nov 2: Another 147 people have been tested positive for dengue virus across the province, including 124 in Lahore during the last 24 hours, with some public sector hospitals having no room for more patients.

A report issued by the Communicable Diseases Control Cell of the Punjab Health Department on Tuesday claimed that 1,998 dengue patients had been discharged from hospitals after treatment. The total number of dengue patients had risen to 1,825 in Lahore and 2,129 across the province, the report said.

However, there are a number of complaints against teaching hospitals in the city where patients were denied admissions for ‘want of space’ leaving them with no option but to opt for costly private health facilities.

The complaints started pouring in after the Punjab chief minister directed the public hospitals in a meeting held at his Raiwind residence on Oct 29 to give top priority to the patients visiting the facilities during dengue epidemic.

Sources told Dawn that Services Hospital and Lahore General Hospital (LGH) had refused to admit some 17 people, including three women, during the last three days though the doctors declared them affected by dengue virus on the basis of their clinical reports. Of them, the sources said, Amjad Ali of Mozang Chungi and Rahmat Humayun of Ghaziabad had a low platelet count. The Services Hospital doctors refused them admission who later got treatment from private hospitals on Jail Road.

An intermediate student, Muhammad Hafeez of Quaid-i-Millat Colony, Kot Lakhpat, was also among other patients who suffered immense problems in getting treatment from a government-run health facility.

Hafeez told Dawn that he visited the LGH dengue counter with high temperature complaint three days ago. The doctors advised him some tests from private laboratories.

He said when he again visited the hospital along with the clinical reports which tested him positive for dengue virus with a 77,000 platelet count only, the doctors refused to admit and asked him to go to any private health facility for treatment as all the beds were occupied.

Hafeez said he then tried to approach the LGH medical superintendent but he was not present at his office and after waiting for two hours, he had no option except to be admitted to a private hospital on Ferozepur Road.

He alleged that like him several other patients had similar complaints there and returned without treatment owing to poor response by the doctors and hospital’s administration.

When contacted focal person for dengue at LGH Dr Khalid said the hospital was providing treatment to patients round the clock without any discrimination. He dispelled the impression that the hospital was facing shortage of beds.

Dr Khalid said: “Some dengue patients have been advised treatment at home due to their stable condition and if a patient has a platelet count below 150,000, he is immediately admitted to the hospital.”

To a question about the complaint of an intermediate student who was denied admission despite having a low platelet count, Dr Khalid said the hospital management would hold an inquiry to the effect and take action against the responsible doctors.

Medical superintendents of both the Services and Lahore General hospitals were not available for comments.