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Published 18 Aug, 2015 06:03am

Six diagnosed with dengue fever in Rawalpindi

RAWALPINDI: Six patients diagnosed with dengue fever have been admitted to government hospitals but the Chaklala and Rawalpindi Cantonment Boards, as well as the Potohar Town Municipal Administration, have failed to adopt adequate safety measures in their respective districts.

Two patients arrived from areas under the administrative control of Potohar Town Municipal Administration and the Chaklala Cantonment Board, another three from areas under the control of the Rawal Town Municipal Administration, and one from within the administrative limits of the Rawalpindi Cantonment Board.

The Holy Family Hospital (HFH) in Satellite Town received three patients and Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH) on Murree Road received two patients. However, the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital failed to set up a dengue ward and referred both the confirmed and suspected cases to the HFH and BBH.

Nasir Mir, former deputy nazim of Dhoke Ratta, told Dawn that the area located near Leh Nullah had not been sprayed with anti-dengue medicines after the local administration sent untrained officials who were unable to identify the dengue larvae.

He said the arrival of two patients in the hospital from the area was an ample proof that safety measures had not been implemented following the monsoons.


Dengue cases increase as local administrations fail to coordinate anti-dengue safety measures


A senior official within the Rawalpindi Health Department told Dawn that the local administration and the health department reshuffles allowed untrained individuals to replace trained officials.

“After 2011, the Punjab government sent Executive District Officer of Health Dr Zafar Iqbal Gondal and District Officer Dr Ansar Ishaq to Bangkok for anti-dengue training in the urban areas. The services of the officials were not utilised and they were replaced by officials who had little experience with such measures.”

He added that the government recruited over 200 sanitary patrols but they had not been trained. The local administration, acting on the orders of local PML-N leaders, has left the citizens at the mercy of untrained officials.

He added that the lack of coordination between the Potohar Town Municipal Administration and the Chaklala Cantonment Board had left vacant plots in the district waterlogged and untreated.

Mr Mir said the relevant administrations needed to follow the standard operating measures adopted in 2012 in order to prevent a dengue fever epidemic.

District Coordination Officer (DCO) Sajid Zafar Dall was not available to comment on the matter despite repeated attempts.

BBH Medical Superintendent Dr Asif Qadir Mir said the dengue patients admitted to the hospital were stable and would be discharged in a few days. He said suspected cases were also arriving and their number may increase.

Dr Tahir Sharif of HFH said at present three dengue fever patients were admitted to the hospital and more than 10 suspected cases arrived daily.

Published in Dawn, August 18th, 2015

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