MINGORA, Aug 27: A team of eight health experts from Punjab along with an entomology-analyser machine on Tuesday reached Mingora to help local doctors and paramedics manage the dengue crisis in Swat district.

The team comes in at the request of the provincial health department.

Chief executive of Saidu Sharif Teaching Hospital Professor Taj Mohammad said the administration had requested the department for two entomology-analyser machines for dengue tests.

He said currently, the tests were done manually.

Professor Taj said over 600 Swat residents had tested positive for dengue and 300 of them were moderate and severe cases, which were admitted to the hospital for treatment.

He said the rest were advised to take treatment at home for being nominal.

The hospital’s chief executive said that dengue patients were being treated on the premises free of charge despite availability of limited funds.

He said government and private hospitals in the district were charging nothing for dengue tests.

“It’s our joint responsibility to fight dengue and save the people’s life,” he said. Professor Taj said the hospital had enough medicines and kits for dengue tests.

Dr Zameer Minhas, a member of the Punjab team, said dengue was a social issue, which needed to be dealt with collectively.

He said his team would train local doctors and paramedical staff, and would go to the field to identify larva of dengue mosquito.

Also in the day, senior doctors from Khyber Medical University Peshawar visited the hospital and examined dengue patients.

Later, they addressed a news conference along with the representatives of the local administration.

Dr Mukhtar Zaman, who led the delegation, briefed the media about dengue and its incidence in the country.

He said dengue was a global phenomenon and in Pakistan it was first reported in Sept 1995 in Karachi after the detection of 145 cases.

Dr Mukhtar said later in October 1995, 57 dengue cases were reported in Balochistan.

He said in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the first dengue case was seen in November 2011.

Deputy Commissioner Syed Imtiaz Hussain, who was also in attendance, said the administration was making every effort to prevent dengue.

He said dengue mosquito could not survive at the temperature below 16 degree centigrade and above 37 degree centigrade.

“We expect that the temperature will fall below 16 degree centigrade in a fortnight and thus, easing the problem,” he said.