ATTOCK, Nov 28: A 15-year-old dengue fever patient died at Kalu Kalah village in Hazro tehsil, it has been learnt.

Mohammad Asif had been suffering from high fever and had bleeding gums for a week.

The boy was rushed to a private hospital, which referred him to Benazir Bhutto Hospital, Rawalpindi, due to his critical condition. He was treated as a suspect of dengue fever and his blood sample was sent to National Institute of Health (NIH), Islamabad, for test which turned out to be positive, health sources said.

A social activist, Lutfur Rehman, has expressed concern over lack of proper arrangements at the THQ Hospital, Hazro, to treat dengue fever despite strict instructions of the Punjab government.

Asif was referred to Benazir Bhutto Hospital because there were no facilities available at the tehsil level. Besides, there was no isolation ward and other treatment facilities at the THQ Hospital Hazro. The boy was not given immediate treatment as a result of which his condition deteriorated and he died, he added.

Some villagers complained that due to lack of proper fumigation and other preventive measures, there was an outbreak of dengue fever which affected many areas of Jand tehsil some months back. Now the disease has reached Hazro tehsil.

When contacted, Executive District Officer (EDO), Health, Syed Mohammad Hussain Naqvi admitted that Asif tested positive for dengue fever at NIH but surprisingly the results of the pathology test at the Benazir Bhutto Hospital were found negative which created confusion. The situation is however being investigated by the health department, he added.

However Asif’s house and the surrounding areas of Kalu Kalah village have been fumigated to avoid outbreak of the epidemic disease.

Replying to complaints regarding lack of proper arrangements at THQ Hospital Hazro to treat suspected dengue fever patients, he said majority of the patients preferred to stay at home instead of getting treatment at the hospital. However special isolation ward for dengue fever patients would soon be set up at the THQ Hospital Hazro but so far no new case of high fever or dengue fever has been detected in Hazro tehsil, he added.

Mr Naqvi said Asif was neither brought to THQ Hospital Hazro nor any other local government hospital and was taken directly to Benazir Bhutto Hospital in Rawalpindi.

Explaining the fumigation procedure, the EDO said the health department was bound to fumigate the house of any dengue fever patient and its surroundings, but it was impossible to conduct thermal fogging throughout the tehsil or district due to lack of resources. It is the duty of the Tehsil Municipal Administration and other civic agencies to carry out fumigation and spray to avoid spread of the disease.

BLOOD TEST FOUND NEGATIVE: EDO Health Attock Syed Hussain Naqvi claimed that the blood of all 58 dengue fever suspects in Jand tehsil was found negative. The blood samples were sent to the NIH Islamabad in the first week of this month.

Since the outbreak of dengue fever, a total of 37 dengue fever cases were detected in different areas of Jand tehsil. However, all the patients recovered after they were provided proper treatment.