RAWALPINDI/TAXILA: A 14-year-old dengue patient from Sangjani died at the Holy Family Hospital (HFH), taking the death toll to 10 in Rawalpindi.

Mohammad Saad arrived at HFH displaying symptoms of the dengue virus. He had previously been admitted to a private hospital for three days, before being shifted to HFH on Saturday.

HFH Medical Superintendent Dr Tariq Niazi confirmed the boy’s death on Saturday evening. He said the number of dengue patients was steadily increasing, with over 33 patients arriving on Saturday.

Taxila Assistant Commissioner Shahid Imran said that the local administration in Taxila had probed the death of the teenager, and that the patient was admitted to a private hospital where he was not properly diagnosed and treated.

He said a report of the mishandling of the case by a hospital in Sangjani and a laboratory in Wah Cantonment had been forwarded to the Rawalpindi commissioner for further legal action.

Rawalpindi commissioner Zahid Saeed has asked the local administration to continue Indoor Residual Surveillance (IRS) in the cold weather, since the dengue mosquito will hide in warmer rooms and homes.

The commissioner has expressed his dissatisfaction with the anti-dengue measures carried out by the local administration, as the number of dengue patients has increased to over 2,500 this season. He also directed civic departments to drain the rainwater accumulating on rooftops and on the streets.

Meanwhile, the Punjab chief minister has taken notice of the first confirmed dengue fatality in the Taxila tehsil and has asked for a report from the concerned officials.

According to official sources, Mohammad Naeem, 22, from Muneerabad Wah Cantonment is the first confirmed dengue casualty in Taxila. Around 22 other patients have tested positive for dengue and are being treated at various government-run hospitals.

District Health Officer Dr Malik Ibadat Khan – who is also conducting the investigation into Mr Naeem’s death – told Dawn that Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has taken notice of the incident and called for a detailed report.

He said that the deceased had come to the Tehsil Headquarters (THQ) Hospital in Hassanabdul in the late stages of the virus. After he tested positive for dengue, he was referred to the Holy Family Hospital (HFH) where he died on Friday.

He said that due to a lack of information and limited financial resources the patient was not given proper treatment at various clinics.

He said that there may also have been a lapse on the part of laboratory officials of the hospital, who delayed the test results leading to late diagnosis and treatment.

He said that the concerned staff would face consequences if found guilty of negligence.

Inside sources said that the patient arrived at the hospital at 7am, at which point the duty medical officer at the night shift had left the hospital. When a doctor arrived, the patent was examined and tested. However, instead of urgent testing, the patient received a result at around 2pm.

Shahid Mehmood, the father of the deceased, also recorded a statement with the investigating team and revealed that he had been trying to get treatment for his son but that the doctors had delayed treatment for one reason or another.

Mr Imran said that local administration is separately investigating the death of Mohammad Naeem. He confirmed that Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif had sought a report, and said that the preliminary investigation proved that the case was ‘mishandled’.

He said that the Tehsil Municipal Administration had conducted Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) around the area where the deceased lived, and that ‘fogging’ had also been carried out.

Published in Dawn, October 26th, 2015

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