KARACHI: Dengue fever claims 14 lives in four months: Effective fumigation stressed
By Mukhtar Alam
KARACHI, Oct 6: The dengue fever has so far claimed 13 lives in Karachi during the last four months, and according to statistics, out of 315 VHF suspected patients, 13 died during the last four months.
This was stated at a meeting on dengue fever, attended by the health experts, at the Sindh Secretariat building.
As the meeting reviewed situation relating to Degue fever cases, a 33-years-old woman died of suspected viral haemorrhagic viral fever on Friday at a private hospital, raising the number of deaths to 14.
According to sources at the Civil Hospital, Karachi, four patients of suspected VHF were admitted to the hospital on Friday.
The meeting noted with concern the increasing number of cases and suggested measures to overcome the menace of mosquitoes. Moreover, during tests, 115 patients were found dengue positive.
The meeting, convened by the Sindh health department and attended by health officials from Islamabad, provincial health department, WHO, and representative officials of private hospitals, was chaired by Sindh health minister Syed Sardar Ahmed at the Sindh Secretariat building.
The experts were of the view that the data and information about viral haemorrhagic fever and dengue fever, whatsoever was available with them, gave to understand that the dengue infection was here to stay in the city and as such there was a need to take effective measures to eliminate the mosquitoes’ breeding places on priority basis. About the ongoing fumigation campaign in various towns of the city, it was stated that would not help eliminate mosquitoes which transmitted the dengue virus.
After hearing the point of view from the participants, the Sindh health minister said over and above it could be said that the situation pertaining to dengue was all not alarming, but there was a need to get rid of the menace at the earliest as it disturbed very much the families affected by the viral diseases.
He said doctors and health workers should ensure that the patients suspected of viral haemorrhagic fever should be brought to the medical care centres and hospitals before it was a lost case.
“I have been briefed that of the 315 VHF suspected patients, 13 died during the last four months, which is serious and needs attention of all the stakeholders.
“We should work for the elimination of mosquitoes in our neighbourhoods, otherwise things could get worse”, Syed Sardar Ahmad, who is also senior minister in the Sindh cabinet, said adding he would write to the city nazim on the issue of flaws in the ongoing fumigation or fogging exercise to avoid the menace and threat of mosquito-borne diseases in the city.
The health minister issued directives for setting up a dengue fever cell at the health department, which should remain in touch with all tertiary care hospitals and others concerned and come up with strategies to overcome the fever problem.
He also stressed on sharing of information between organisations and updating of data for a better mechanism.
The minister said as part of the health education programme, the provincial health department would also start publication of advertisements in national dailies soon.
“We should explain dengue and other communicable diseases and preventive measures, through clear and precise messages and advertisements from time to time for the awareness and education of public.”
Dr Qutubuddin Kakar of WHO Islamabad said following an outbreak of dengue in Karachi last year, a team from Islamabad had conducted a detailed survey of hospitals and residences and residential areas of patients and in its reports had predicted that another worse outbreak could reoccur in April, 2006 and later, if proper steps were not taken by the provincial and district governments.
He said there was a need for strengthening surveillance activities, development of epidemic contingency plans, community oriented awareness raising programme and vector controlling.
Dr Kakar said irregular supply of water to residence or water crisis like situation some times compels citizens to store drinking water for long in drums and home utensils not fully protected, which was a reason behind the breeding of vector within the houses.
He further said since Karachi was a large and expanding city, people here had to go for jobs and business to distant places every day, which might be a probable reason behind the transmission of vector from one area to the other.
The secretary of the health department, Prof Noshad A. Shaikh, informed the audience about different steps his department had taken or intended to take in future at provincial and district government levels for better management of VHF and dengue.
He said the department had collected data from five hospitals -- the Aga Khan University, Liaquat National Hospital, Ziauddin Hospital, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre and Civil Hospital Karachi -- recently, according to which as many as 315 patients suspected of VHF were brought to them, out of which 115 were found dengue positive, while another four were Crimean Congo Haemorrhagic fever positive.
Dr Mohammad Mukhtar, Deputy Director, Malaria Control Programme, Ministry of Health Islamabad, said relapse of the dengue fever in Karachi was a serious matter and all the stakeholders, including the federal government should try to find out the reasons behind the disease.
Like some other speakers, he too criticised the system of fumigation in Karachi and observed that the broad day fogging of drugs or fumigation was incorrect and was tantamount to waste of the resources.
“We need to destroy the breeding of the mosquitoes causing dengue or other viral fever in the city by carrying out fumigation one hour before sunrise or sunset, when the mosquitoes get active and bite human beings,” he added.
Others who also spoke at the meeting were Capt (retd) Abdul Majid, additional secretary of Sindh Health department, Dr Seemin Jamali of the JPMC, Dr Nasim Salahuddin, Dr Afiya Zafar, Dr Fareen Ali, Dr Jamal Nasir, Dr Najib Durrani of the National Institute of Health Islamabad, Dr Jamal Nasir, Dr Qazi Mujtaba Kamal and Dr Ejaz Vohra.
