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| November 05, 2006 | Sunday | Shawwal 12, 1427 |
Govt not doing much to contain dengue fever: report
ISLAMABAD, Nov 4: A consumer rights organisation on Saturday criticised the federal and provincial governments for not doing much to prevent the outbreak of dengue haemorrhagic fever in the country.
“The performance of federal and provincial governments remained confined to press statements claiming that free testing facilities have been provided in all cities and fumigation campaigns are being started to stop mosquito breeding etc. The ground realities, however, suggest otherwise,” says The Network, a non-governmental organisation, in its report on “Dengue Outbreak” released here on Saturday.
The report says that there are complaints in Karachi and other cities that Rs700 to Rs800 are being charged from a patient to carry out blood tests in public sector hospitals. It is very much unfortunate that people in power corridors don’t think beyond federal capital that’s why there seems no precautionary measures or preparation to face the possible outbreak of this deadly disease in the cities, where dengue cases have not yet been reported, it added.
Moreover, it says, the excessive and irrational use of antibiotics and antiviral medicines in Pakistan has made the viruses and bacteria more resistant against medicines and diseases like dengue have turned into epidemics.
Highlighting the causes, the report said the second spike of mosquito transmitted dengue fever and dengue haemorrhagic fever was the direct outcome of the combined negligence of public health institutions and municipal bodies as well as local governments. It says poor sanitation facilities in thickly- populated areas invite mosquito breeding, resulting in malaria and dengue outbreaks.
Keeping in mind the aggravating situation in Karachi, it says, the administrations of other cities should have taken appropriate measures to cope with possible Karachi-like situation but nothing was done and the disease spread in various other cities of interior Sindh, Rawalpindi, Islamabad and Peshawar in north. Though dengue does occur in only tropical areas, the passengers carrying dengue virus, probably, helped bring this disease to cities like Islamabad and Peshawar, it added.
Our Reporter Adds: The Shifa International Hospital, in collaboration with the Infectious Diseases Society of Pakistan, organised a seminar on “Dengue Fever: The problem and the solution” here on Saturday.
Maj-Gen (retired) Dr Akhtar Ali Qureshi of Community Medicine, Shifa College of Medicine; Dr Mohammad Suleman microbiologist, National Institute of Health (NIH); Dr Waheeduz Zaman virologist, AFIP; and Dr Farheen Ali infectious disease specialist, Liaquat National Hospital, Karachi; were the experts who imparted knowledge on the growing epidemic.
“The dengue virus has the liberty to cross borders,” said Dr Akhtar Ali while introducing the fever to the participants. It is the most emergent disease of the tropical areas, he said, adding that 1.2 billion cases were reported in 1998 in about 56 countries all over the world. The most affected were children of under 13 years of age. Dr Suleman said: “A sporadic disease in the 19th century, it has increased 30-fold in the last 30 years.”
A Reporter adds: There is no need of panic about dengue fever, as the disease is under control and the district government is monitoring the situation very closely, a health official said on Saturday.
Talking to Dawn, Executive District Officer (health), Dr Zafar Iqbal Gondal said the number of new suspects coming to hospitals in the city had reduced drastically and most of the dengue fever patients admitted to different hospitals had been discharged.
He said 36 patients suffering from dengue fever were admitted to Rawalpindi General Hospital (RGH), District Headquarters hospital and Holy Family Hospital since the outbreak of the disease. Out of them, only three patients were still admitted in RGH and DHQ hospital, and they too were in stable condition.
Dr Gondal said 136 suspects had been admitted to the three hospitals and 33 of them were still hospitalised. He said the district government had launched a campaign about preventive measures and sent health teams for spray to various areas of the city, particularly where the cases had been reported.
The EDO said spray teams would be sent to the peripheral areas of the city and all the rural health centres and basic health centres have been asked to report to the health department if they received any suspect.
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