FAISALABAD: Two doctors of the Allied Hospital are said to have contracted chickenpox while administering treatment to patients, augmenting the scare among the medics and staff.

More than 10 people, most of them children, have died due to complications they developed while being treated for chickenpox during the last one and-a-half month. The disease is unabated as the number of patients with similar symptoms is surging.

Fourteen-year-old Eman Fatima of Chak 250-RB died on Friday -- a few days after she was admitted to the hospital with fever and other symptoms of chickenpox.

Information gleaned by Dawn said Dr Fareeha and Dr Fazal were suffering from chickenpox and the situation had alarmed their colleagues and hospital staff. Their colleagues have resented what they say undue delay in administering right dose of vaccination to the entire workforce.

Sources said the doctors had been insisting on having been vaccinated for the last one month. They said the situation was indicating an outbreak of the disease.

Speaking to this correspondent, a doctor said chickenpox is usually not alarming but the situation worsens when parents consult doctors after much delay and then it becomes difficult to handle the complications. He says the government should launch an awareness campaign so as to sensitise people about the infectious disease.

Deputy Commissioner Salman Ghani says an awareness campaign is already under way.

Pakistan Medical Association, Punjab Vice President Dr Mohammad Irfan suggests the hospital administration should immediately examine the doctors, nurses and other staff engaged in treating the chickenpox patients to rule out any other case. He says people as a precautionary measure should isolate the family member who suffers from chickenpox.

Dr Irfan urges the district government to ensure availability of the chickenpox vaccine in Faisalabad because of possible outbreak of the disease.

Allied Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Rashid Maqbool said arrangements for immunisation of the staff had been made and they would be vaccinated soon. He said three employees -- a doctor, a nurse and a paramedic -- were suffering from chickenpox but they did not contract it from any of those given treatment in the hospital.

Admitting that 11 people had died of chickenpox since Jan 1 and more than 10 are still admitted, Dr Maqbool said the hospital was doing its best to properly treat patients.

Published in Dawn, April 8th, 2017