RAWALPINDI: Though the mercury dropped to 27°C, there is no let-up in the arrival of dengue patients in the three government hospitals in the city.

However, doctors said the dengue cases would decrease when the mercury drops to 13°C.

On Sunday, 274 more suspected dengue patients reported to the hospitals taking the tally to over 5,200 in just one month.

The dengue cases were so high in Rawalpindi compared to other districts of Punjab that Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar had to order an inquiry besides tasking the chief secretary with supervising the anti-dengue campaign in Rawalpindi.

From the last week of August to Oct 6, more than 5,200 dengue cases have been reported to the Holy Family Hospital, Benazir Bhutto Hospital and the District Headquarters Hospital.

However, the number of patients in private hospitals and clinics is not known.

Over 5,000 dengue cases reported in the city’s three hospitals in the last one month

All dengue patients admitted to the government hospitals belonged to 18 union councils of the city and 20 wards of Rawalpindi and Chaklala cantonments.

On Sunday night, 652 patients were admitted to the three government hospitals.

“A total of 1,440 patients arrived in the outpatient departments during the last 24 hours and 274 of them tested positive for dengue and 199 were discharged after treatment from the three hospitals,” said a senior official of the health department told Dawn.

He said the health department on Sunday conducted fumigation in houses of 144 patients who had reported to the three hospitals while the houses of the other patients would be fumigated on Monday.

When contacted, Vice Chancellor Rawalpindi Medical University (RMU) Prof Dr Mohammad Umer said due to the cold weather on Sept 28 and 29, a small decrease in the number of patients was seen but it surged again.

The hospitals have been asked to make arrangements for dengue patients in other wards. He said he had talked to other hospitals to make arrangements to deal with the dengue patients.

He said at present the RMU was using Red Crescent Hospital to provide treatment to dengue patients but in case of further increase, railways, social security and Wateen hospitals would also be utilised.

Meanwhile, Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmeen Rashid reviewed the anti-dengue drive at the commissioner office.

During a meeting, she stressed the need for community mobilisation and said the dengue virus had become a social issue rather than an epidemic.

She said all government departments were on their toes to avoid further spread of the disease in the city. She said the government was monitoring the work of the departments and would not spare those who presented fudged figures or showed negligence.

On the other hand, the health department accused residents of 18 union councils of not adopting safety measures in and around their houses. It said larva was found in houses rather than outdoor areas.

The minister asked the district administration to register cases against those who refused to allow teams to check dengue larvae in their houses and commercial sites. She said police should also be deployed with the anti-dengue teams in troubled areas.

Published in Dawn, October 7th, 2019