KARACHI, Sept 1: Amid a surge in the mosquito-borne dengue infection in the city, the Civil Hospital Karachi on Saturday set up a dengue ward as part of the government’s measures to cope with a possible outbreak of the disease.

The provincial dengue surveillance cell recorded 40 dengue fever, or hemorrhagic fever, patients’ admission to various public and private hospitals in August. The number of dengue patients admitted to hospitals in July was 39 and in June 28.

The cell had recorded 165 dengue-positive cases in the city till Saturday. Last year, Karachi reported 858 (79.5 per cent of the total cases of Sindh) dengue-positive cases and 16 related deaths in 2011.

Speaking to Dawn, Dr Shakeel A. Mullick, the focal person of the provincial dengue surveillance cell, said the dengue cases reporting showed an upturn usually after monsoon rains in the city.

Fortunately, he said, the interior of Sindh had also not experienced any significant rainfall so far this year and as such only one positive case of dengue had been reported there, taking the total recorded number of dengue positive cases in the province to 166 on Saturday, while laboratory reports related to three dengue suspected patients were awaited from Karachi hospitals, he added.

Replying to a question, Dr Mullick said six doctors with paramedical staff would work in three shifts in the dengue ward of the CHK. Testing facilities for dengue suspected patients and platelet transfusion arrangements would also be available for the dengue patients at the CHK, he added.

The dengue ward comprising nine beds has been established on the third floor of the neurosurgery and eye departments’ block of the CHK located in the Sindh Government Services Hospitals.

From January to August the CHK reported 72 cases, the Aga Khan University Hospital, 70 cases; Liaquat National Hospital, 10; Dr Ziauddin Hospital, seven; Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, three; and Ankle Saria Nursing Home and the OMI Hospital one case each.

A month-wise breakdown of the recorded dengue-positive cases is: January, 11; February,14; March, 8; April, 12; May, 16; June, 28; July, 39 and Aug, 40 cases.