PESHAWAR: Dengue haemorrhagic fever claimed two more lives as the government continues to eliminate larvae from inside houses in the high-risk union councils of the provincial capital.

The mosquitoe-borne disease has so far killed 58 people in the province since early July when it broke out in Peshawar.

Dengue Response Unit of the health department said that Lal Badshah, 36, a resident of Sawaldher, Mardan, died at the Mardan Medical Complex and Afia Bibi, 55, a resident of Nasir Bagh, Peshawar, died at the Kuwait Teaching Hospital.

A press release by DRU said that a total of 1,873 suspected patients were screened at the hospitals during the past 24 hours and 481of them turned out to be positive for the ailment. It said that a total of 122 new patients were hospitalised and 109 patients earlier admitted were sent home after recovery.

It said that 408 patients were under treatment at different hospitals, mostly at the Khyber Teaching Hospital, Lady Reading Hospital and Hayatabad Medical Complex, Peshawar.

The health department in collaboration with the district government has started a door-to-door campaign to scale up public awareness of the disease and its causes and preventions. The teams formed by the government also include female workers who visit houses and ask the people to cover water pots and wear full sleeves dress and use bed nets to stay safe from the disease. The authorities have expedited the awareness drive, particularly in Tehkal, Sufaid Dheri, Pawaka and other localities from where most of the cases are coming. Meanwhile, the health department has also sent letters to public representatives, asking them to use their influence and convince their electorates to adopt safety measures.

Published in Dawn, October 20th, 2017