PESHAWAR: Unauthorised medical practitioners have been mistreating people with temperature for Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever without diagnosis as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa recorded 104 more cases of the vector-borne disease during the last 24 hours, according to officials.

They said that the province registered 2,251 dengue cases so far in the current year.

“Yes, action against illegal practice is an ongoing activity and it includes dengue as well. Our field inspectors are visiting such clinics and take action wherever needed,” Dr Nadeem Akhtar, the chief of Health Care Commission (HCC) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, told Dawn when asked about the widespread quackery in the province.

He said that the commission they did not have staff in all districts of the province but in Peshawar or some other districts. He said that they took action against unauthorised medical practitioners by imposing penalties on them and closing down their clinics.

Over 2,200 cases of the ailment recorded in current year

“We have the mandate to take task all those involved in harmful medical practice in the province,” said Dr Nadeem.

He said that anti-quackery campaign continued to ensure that people got quality medical care in private and public hospitals.

With the onset of the month of October, health department has been recording more dengue cases than September but patients instead of going to hospitals to undergo investigation visit unauthorised medical practitioners to seek treatment.

Jawad Khan in Tehkal locality, one of the five endemic areas in Peshawar, told this scribe that he took his wife to a private clinic with 104-degree Fahrenheit fever and she was readily administered 1000ml normal saline infusion.

“Going to hospitals or clinics of qualified doctors needs more expenses due to which I went to a practitioner in my neighbourhood and paid just Rs1,000 to him,” he said.

A schoolteacher on Nasir Bagh Road in Peshawar said that several patients were receiving treatment from local doctors, who did not care about suggesting laboratory tests to them but put the people with high fever on intravenous fluids. “Some clinics do not have space to accommodate patients so people are given the same medication in their homes,” he added.

Dr Irshad Roghani, the director of public health, told Dawn that HCC was taking action against those healthcare providers, who indulged in unsafe medical practices.

“Additionally, we are holding awareness campaigns where people are informed about the causes and prevention of dengue fever. People having symptoms of dengue should visit hospitals where they can avail free diagnostic services,” he said.

He said that dengue had been a recurring public health issue, infecting people every year since 2010. He said that their doctors and support staff were trained in its management.

“Our field staff tests suspected people on rapid diagnostic kits and PCRs are conducted free of cost in Public Health Reference Laboratory at Khyber Medical University Peshawar,” said Dr Irshad. He added that PCRs were also performed in 12 district laboratories for suspected patients.

Meanwhile, the mosquito-borne ailment continues to affect people, mostly in Peshawar where 748 cases have been confirmed so far. According to a report, 74 people are being treated currently at hospitals, including 23 patients, who have been hospitalised during the past 24 hours.

So far, 347 have been hospitalised for treatment of dengue fever. The province is home to 652 active cases whereas 1,597 have recovered, according to the report of health department.

Five districts including Peshawar, Mardan, Hangu, Kohistan Lower and Mansehra are endemic to dengue where health department in collaboration with line departments is taking anti-dengue measures in hotspots.

Published in Dawn, October 17th, 2024