ISLAMABAD, Oct 14: In response to reports of incidence of hemorrhagic fever in Karachi, the health ministry deputed a joint team comprising experts from the National Institute of Health, Directorate of Malaria Control Programme and the World Health Organisation to assess the situation and carry out epidemiological investigations.

The team visited Liaquat National Hospital, Civil Hospital, Ziauddin Hospital and Aga Khan University Hospital to gather detailed information about cases admitted and determine the disease trend and geographical distribution of the cases.

In view of the situation obtained, a central focal point was established at the office of Sindh Secretary Health for monitoring and surveillance of dengue fever cases with Additional Secretary Health Capt (Dr) Abdul Majid as in charge focal person.

All five hospitals were recommended to work as sentinel sites, which would generate and disseminate the hemorrhagic fever data to the health department at the focal point on daily basis for onward transmission to NIH for monitoring the situation.

Training sessions were conducted at three places for the senior health managers of the province.

The record of the five hospitals showed 371 cases and 16 deaths in the current spell due to the disease with a case fatality rate of 4.3 per cent.

This time the disease was not limited to the low-line poverty stricken areas of Landhi and Malir as was observed in November and December last year rather it spread to different parts of Karachi also involving even the posh localities like Defence.

To control the current dengue and hemorrhagic fever outbreak and prevent any future epidemics, the team of experts gave following recommendations:

The breeding sites should be removed, clean water kept in open containers, buckets, pitches, saucers and flower and money plant holding open posts inside the houses.

Management of cases in centres according to the recommended protocol for dengue and hemorrhagic fever including careful monitoring and reporting.

Information should be conveyed to public through media and lady health workers for the use of personal protection against mosquitoes with bed-nets, repellents and other protective measures. Cases should be traced for residual sprays of all the houses by an effective insecticide to be carried out by the city government to destroy the mosquitoes when they are resting on the walls in the entire city dwellings that are reporting maximum number of cases.—APP