RAWALPINDI: While the minimum temperature decreased to six degrees Celsius in Rawalpindi, there has been no let-up in dengue cases with 40 more patients reported to hospitals in the garrison city on Tuesday.

In the current season, 6250 peopled have contracted the dengue virus in the Rawalpindi district while 11 people lost their lives.

As many as 119 patients landed in the three government hospitals while 40 tested positive for dengue. A total of 170 dengue patients are in the hospitals, including 43 dengue at Holy Family Hospital (HFH), 41 at Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH), seven at Rawalpindi Teaching Hospital and six at Fauji Foundation Hospital. The remaining 73 are in private hospitals.

District Health Authority Chief Executive Officer Dr Asif Arbab Niazi told Dawn that the number of dengue patients was reducing with each passing day and the virus would be end by December.

“The climate change is the main reason as till November 15, there was no cold weather at daytimes. The dengue mosquitoes enter houses and affect people,” he said.

He said the effect of the cold weather would be seen next week. He said the number of dengue patients had reduced to 40 and it would further decrease in coming days.

He said the health authority was working under the supervision of Deputy Commissioner Dr Hassan Waqar Cheema day and night to clear the city and cantonment from the dengue virus.

He said the district administration had declared Chak Jalaldin and Kotha Kalan union councils as sensitive. However, mostly patients arrived from Gulistan Colony, Morgah, Airport Housing Society and New Afzal Town near Gulraiz.

On the other hand, Additional Deputy Commissioner General Hassan Tariq said that the number of dengue patients in Rawalpindi was gradually decreasing.

“Dengue activity will continue uninterrupted so that dengue can be completely controlled in coming year,” he said.

He said that a new plan would be prepared for high-risk union councils. He directed the Rawalpindi Municipal Waste Company officials to clean Union Council Chak Jalaldin.

He said that the dengue-affected union councils should be completely cleaned one by one. He directed all district health officers to submit case response reports on a daily basis.

He expressed these views while presiding over an anti-dengue meeting at the Deputy Commissioner Office. During a briefing by the District Health Authority, the meeting was informed that 40 dengue patients had reported in the last 24 hours.

Published in Dawn, November 20th, 2024