LAHORE: With the reports that Punjab is heading towards the epidemic of dengue fever due to increase in the number of cases, panadol has completely ‘vanished’ from the market.

According to situation in hospitals and labs, the number of dengue cases was far higher than the reported officially by the health authorities.

The medical experts practicing in the streets said they had witnessed a 30 per cent surge in the dengue cases during the last one week or so.

They said children were also suffering from dengue fever in large numbers besides adults and the symptoms they had observed during clinical assessment were showing high prevalence of dengue cases.

The medics assessed that the patients were complaining of severe body pain followed by high temperature and dry cough.

According to the official figures released by the Punjab health department, the province has recorded total 293 new positive cases of dengue infection during the last 24 hours, taking the total number to 13,742 this year so far.

Most of them [142] new cases were reported in Lahore followed by 52 from Rawalpindi.

Similarly, the death toll increased to 18 after another dengue patient died in Punjab due to multiple complications.

An official said the non-availability of Panadol medicine has compounded the problems of patients as a majority of them were not trusting other alternate drugs available with the same salt (paracetamol).

He said there were reports that the federal government has increased price of the Panadol brand after the company stopped its production.

However, it was not provided in markets, he said adding that the government authorities should immediately ensure its supply on the new price keeping in view the public concerns and demand.

“We are receiving many patients with low platelet count and the rashes/red spots on their bodies that showed the dengue disease has assumed an acute form,” said senior medic Dr Mohammad Arshad.

He said the low platelet counts were not so much alarming or life threatening unless the dengue patients complained of some bleeding from mouth, nose or some other part of his/her body.

“When a patient complains of an advance form of dengue fever, that means he was not properly getting medicine (panadol or paracetamol)”, he said adding that the persistent high temperature history for at least one week is one of the reasons of his [acute] status.

The patients must be put on medication to bring down the high temperature to stop complications of dengue, he said adding that the government authorities should take immediate measures to ensure supply of the medicine.

PFA: The Punjab Food Authority (PFA) seized 1,200kg of expired cocoa powder and fake labelling material in a raid at a warehouse in Badian village.

The raid was conducted on a tip-off of a vigilance cell, the PFA said, adding the seized products were being loaded on a truck to be supplied to the local market.

The name of the American food brand and a fake address were being labeled on the products to trick the PFA.

The PFA director-general says the authority has prepared a bike squad to check food points in narrow streets.

The PFA sought the cooperation of the PFA to eliminate the enemies of public health.

Published in Dawn, October 27th, 2022