RAWALPINDI: The first dengue patient of the year landed in Holy Family Hospital this week but the patient is not local.

Nasir Mehar, 24, belongs to Jund in Attock district. However, he is believed to have gotten infected in Karachi where he works. Relatives said he reached his village home sick from Karachi on February 28 and they brought him to the hospital.

“Initially, we took it to be a case of Congo fever,” HFH medical superintendent Dr Raja Shafique told Dawn. “But tests at the National Institute of Health declared him a dengue patient.”

Since the man was said to have suffered from dengue fever in the past also, Dr Shafique said he was shifted to ICU for treatment.

“It is time for the district administration and the health department to mount precautionary measures against spread of dengue fever in the city and adjoining areas. The Met Office has predicted rains in the coming days, which will produce ideal conditions for breeding of dengue mosquitoes,” Dr Shafique said.

No such effort is visible in the garrison city, however. Like last year, the health department has not started any anti-dengue spray along Leh Nullah. Most dengue cases are reported from these areas. So far, the health department’s work has been limited to briefing ministers and chief secretary.

“More than 1,100 personnel recruited for anti-dengue drive draw their salaries but are not seen active on the ground,” said a senior officer of the department, lamenting that “recruitment of 350 more workers is in the process.”

Anti-dengue spray activity should have started with the start of the spring season, he said, warning that “the longer it is delayed, the greater would be the risk of a dengue crisis.”

Dawn made several attempts to get comments of the Executive District Officer Health Dr Arshad Ali Sabir and District Health Officer Dr Raffique but received no response from their sides.

Published in Dawn, March 10th, 2016