KARACHI, July 29: The health authorities have now decided to shift the unused cell separator, which was procured by the Sindh government at a cost of Rs3 million in its drive against dengue about a year back, to the Civil Hospital Karachi at the earliest.

The costly cell separator was provided to Government Qatar Hospital about 10 months ago, but the facility remained unutilised for the purpose of patients, particularly during the dengue peak months, as it had no funds to purchase the needed mega-unit platelet bags. The estimated cost of one empty mega unit bag varies from Rs8,500 to Rs10,000 in the open market.

Sources privy to a meeting, which was held to review the preparations related to dengue fever diseases and its management at the government level, told Dawn on Tuesday that Sindh Health Minister Dr Sagheer Ahmad approved a proposal for proper utilisation of the cell separator at a hospital other than Qatar hospital.

The sources said that the meeting observed that since the government might take time in approving a bulk allocation for the purchase of the missing platelet kits, a major reason for keeping the multi-purpose cell separator non-operational, it would be viable for the civil hospitals in Karachi and Larkana and Nawabshah to arrange initially for 50 to 60 bags so that patients, mostly those affected by dengue fever, could be provided with the blood supplement in time and free of cost.

They said the minister asked the CHK medical superintendent to get the machine operational at the earliest.Besides the health minister, who chaired the meeting, the secretary of the provincial health department Shafiq A Khoso, Special Secretary Dr Shafqat H. Abbasi, medical superintendents of CHK, Lyari General Hospital and other government hospitals in the city, Sindh Health Director-General Dr Ghulam Nabi Memon, Sindh Blood Transfusion Authority Secretary Dr Zahid Ansari, Karachi EDO Health Dr A.D. Sajnani, and other concerned officials attended the meeting.

According to official sources, the minister asked Dr Shakeel Mullick, who has been heading the dengue monitoring cell since 2005, to continue as focal person on dengue diseases at the provincial level and reactivate the monitoring cell at the earliest.

Health EDOs have been asked to ensure laboratory tests against dengue fever and provision of platelets to the needy patients in their respective districts.

The civil hospital in Karachi and Hyderabad have been assigned to perform as focal treatment centres of the province for dengue cases, while Government Hospital Liaquatabad, Qatar, Korangi and Saudabad hospitals have been directed to complete their preparations for handling the dengue fever cases.

The meeting was informed that the city district government of Karachi had already selected the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital and Government Hospital, New Karachi, as the central dengue treatment institutions. People can contact the dengue surveillance cell focal person, Dr Mullick, on his cell phone (0321-2420780) or send their complaints, suggestions and other information on dengue through fax at 9217590, said a government handout.