RAWALPINDI, Aug 26: A patient from 1-10/4 Islamabad, brought to the Holy Family Hospital (HFH), was diagnosed as a dengue patient by the National Institute of Heath (NIH) on Monday.

Mohammad Nawaz, 26, was brought to HFH three days ago (on Friday) with symptoms of dengue virus.

Doctors admitted the patient in the isolation ward and sent his blood samples to the NIH, which confirmed that he was suffering from dengue.

“The patient was brought to the hospital three days ago and his platelet count was very low. We received the NIH report which diagnosed dengue virus.

“We already started medication and the patient’s condition is now stable,” HFH In-charge Infectious Diseases Dr Javed Hayat told Dawn.

He said the patient was recovering and would be discharged soon, adding that a total of 102 suspected dengue patients had arrived in the three hospitals HFH, Benazir Bhutto Hospital and District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital.

“Only one dengue patient tested positive. Mohammad Younas had come from Karachi and died on July 29. This is the second case of dengue but is also from outside Rawalpindi,” said Executive District Officer Health Dr Zafar Iqbal Gondal, adding that Younas had been in a critical condition and had died after a few hours in the hospital.

“The arrival of a patient from the bordering locality of Rawalpindi is a concern for the City District Government Rawalpindi (CDGR). It sent a letter to the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) and Capital Development Authority (CDA), requesting for indoor surveillance and a dengue in their respective areas,” he said.

The EDO said the district health department was working for both indoor and outdoor dengue sprays in the garrison city and due to its efforts, no dengue case had been reported in the hospitals so far.