KARACHI, Oct 29 Expressing his dissatisfaction over the measures taken so far to prevent the outbreak of mosquito-borne diseases like dengue fever and malaria, Karachi Administrator Fazlur Rehman on Friday vowed to work for improved fumigation campaigns in the city.

“The manner in which fumigation has been carried out and the quality of chemical insecticides used so far have both appeared ineffective and this means that previous fumigation campaigns were just smoke emission exercises,” Mr Rehman remarked while briefing the media about the results of anti-dengue measures taken by the City District Government Karachi (CDGK).

Earlier, the administrator chaired a meeting on dengue fever and dengue haemorrhagic fever preparedness at tertiary level and district-level health care facilities of CDGK at the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital.

The meeting was attended by various EDOs and town health officers of the city government and medical superintendents of government hospitals. The administrator was told that until October 28, about 3,100 patients were admitted to various hospitals and 1,700 of them were found infected with the dengue virus. He was informed that the number of dengue-related deaths in the city stood at 15.

Mr Rehman told the media that he would himself lead a four-member committee that would monitor preventive and curative measures being taken by the city government with regard to the dengue fever epidemic.

The administrator said that a fresh allocation of Rs2 million had also been made for the surveillance and control of dengue and malaria.

He said that what he had gathered from his personal experiences and complaints lodged by various quarters was that the mosquitoes responsible for the spread of the dengue virus could not be destroyed. “Now I am in consultation with experts and seeking guidance from the federal and provincial governments to ensure a right selection of chemical insecticide for a third round of fumigation beginning soon,” he added.

Over 200 under treatment

According to a CDGK report, about 394 male and female patients believed to be infected with the dengue virus had been admitted to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital so far and 208 of them (aged 20 to 40 years) tested positive for dengue. Another 20 appeared to be malaria patients. There have been only two dengue fatalities. A total of 207 mega platelet units have been used on 166 patients at the hospital.

According to a source privy to the meeting, it was decided that all town health officers and medical superintendents will establish a surveillance cell having two focal persons and the cells will function round the clock.

The administrator told the participants that dengue awareness seminars should also be held at health facilities in addition to distribution of relevant reading material/handbills. Seminars and workshops at schools and colleges should also be held, he said, and directed the officials concerned that elimination of mosquito breeding sites should remain a top priority.

Vigorous fumigation planned

Mr Rehman told the media that since the health group of offices was overburdened, the municipal services group of offices would extend its cooperation to the EDO of health to address the fumigation and other relevant issues for the time being.

He said that fumigation at least twice a day was planned to be carried out in six towns — Orangi, New Karachi, Baldia, Korangi, Liaquatabad, Malir and Gadap — identified as the most-affected areas.

He said that special wards for dengue patients would be established at the other CDGK hospitals as well, while an immediate increase of 20 beds at the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for dengue patients had already been ordered.

In reply to questions, Mr Rehman said that in comparison to other cities, Karachi did not have a very serious situation in terms of the number of dengue cases and fatalities considering its population.

He said efforts would, however, be made to have an effective fumigation campaign by involving more logistic means and employing more spray machines, besides procuring and applying right chemicals in all towns.

The administrator said that CDGK, at present, had only 20 spray machines. As such, 40 machines were being purchased on an urgent basis while 40 more would be procured in the next financial year.

He said he would personally monitor the fumigation campaigns and supply of medicines while a committee consisting of EDO of F&P, EDO of health and EDO of MS would oversee the whole operation. The third round of fumigation would start from November 1, he said, adding that it would be a continuous process.

54 more under diagnosis

According to the daily report of the provincial dengue surveillance cell released on Friday, another 54 suspected dengue patients were admitted to various hospitals in the city during the last 24 hours. The hospitals discharged 44 patients after treatment and a total of 246 patients were still under treatment in 28 public and private hospitals in the city.

So far this year, according to the report, 1,877 patients have been tested positive for dengue in the province while the number of dengue-related fatalities was recorded at 16. The report said that 18 patients were still under treatment various hospitals in Larkana, Shaheed Benazirabad, Sukkur, Hyderabad, Badin, Sanghar, Dadu and Naushehro Feroze.

The number of patients admitted to or examined in the OPDs of hospitals in Sindh during the year so far was 3,398, including 100 living in the districts other than Karachi, said the surveillance report.

Abbasi Shaheed Hospital received the maximum number of 16 patients with dengue symptoms followed by 15 handled at Ziauddin Hospital and 12 at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre.

The largest number of 1,531 admissions this year was reported by the Aga Khan University Hospital so far. Abbasi Shaheed Hospital (426), Ziauddin Hospital (163), Karachi Adventist Hospital (162), NIBD (160), JPMC (144) and Habib Medical Centre (107) followed suit.

Dengue mosquito (Aedes Aegypti) attacks in the hours around sunrise and sunset, a Sindh health department communication says.

The symptom of dengue included high-grade fever, severe body pain, itching, red spots appearing on skin, bleeding from nose and teeth and pain behind eyes. To prevent the disease, one should keep pots, bath buckets and water drums covered and use anti-mosquitoes coil, mat and sprays, it adds.