KARACHI, Dec 3: No case of Congo Fever has been reported in any of the local or public sector hospitals from any part of the city during the season, however, there is urgent need to ensure improved cleanliness and hygienic conditions to combat dengue fever.
A high-level meeting of federal and provincial health department officials and EDO Health along with representatives of the WHO and the National Institute of Health, Islamabad held at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre on Saturday observed that citizens need not to panic about emergence of the ailment.
About Dengue fever, it was reminded that it was largely self-limiting and did not spread through human to human contact. However, the meeting observed that steps should be taken by the government as well as citizens in their individual capacities to wipe out breeding points for mosquitoes causing the viral fever.
It was stressed that no standing water should be allowed to pool on roads while all garbage dumps should be immediately removed and proper fumigation of Malir and Lyari river beds be ensured.
The meeting, chaired by Federal Health Secretary Syed Anwar Mehmood, extensively reviewed the reports presented by JPMC Executive Director Prof Mashoor Alam Shah, CHK Medical Superintendent Dr Kaleem Butt and Dr Afia Zafar of Aga Khan University Hospital.
It was registered that 106 cases of suspected Dengue fever cases were admitted to the three major tertiary care hospitals of the metropolis from Sept 29 to Dec 2. Out of total 106 cases, 85 were referred for necessary serology test and 29 were found to be Dengue positive, bringing the prevalence percentage to 34. Average age of these patients was 29 years, mainly pertaining to low income localities of the city.
The meeting was further informed that nine of the 106 suspected Dengue Fever patients expired during the last two months. Six of them were conformed to be suffering from Dengue Fever. But of the three remaining two were inflicted with Falciparum Malaria and one from Leukemia.
Talking to journalists following the meeting, Federal Health Secretary Syed Anwar Mehmood said that a fumigation campaign had already been launched on crash programme basis in the city and all towns were being sprayed on turn by turn basis.
Additional Secretary Health Capt (Retd) Majid said that the plant protection department was being involved to start with an aerial spray through its aircraft eliminating the very source of the disease. He along with Dr Khalid Sheikh assured that all towns, particularly those located on low lying sites would be sprayed twice, by the end of this month.
Anwar Mehmood said that the federal government against a cost of Rs37 million was in process of procuring Bio-Safety Level-III required to make necessary serological test confirming exact category of the haemorrhagic fever, besides confirming the Congo Fever.—APP
