RAWALPINDI: The number of dengue patients has swelled to 962 as 33 new dengue patients landed in the three government run hospitals on Friday.

From August 1 to October 31, 962 confirmed dengue patients arrived in the hospitals.

Last year 937 dengue patients reported to the allied hospital from August to December 31.

Doctors expect more dengue patients in coming days as this year the virus was more strong.

“The number of dengue patients has increased which resulted in shortage of beds in Holy Family Hospital, Benazir Bhutto Hospital and District Headquarters Hospital,” said a senior doctor at district health department while talking to Dawn.

He said that Cantonment authorities had failed to launch anti-dengue drive in ares of civilian population and their focus remained military housing schemes.

“The Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) started spraying bordering areas of city and cantonment after detection of more than 60 patients from Gawalmandi area,” he said. 

He said that the health department came to help the civic body in cantonment area when the dengue patients started reporting in the hospitals.

“It is the duty of the health department to launch the drive in cantonment areas also,” he said.

Published in Dawn, November 1st , 2014