SWABI/MINGORA, Sept 5: Arrival of a dengue patient from Swat on Thursday triggered panic among local health officials, who want his immediate shifting to Peshawar due to lack of treatment facilities.

Health officials told Dawn that Alamzeb Khan, a resident from Karnal Sher Khan Kili area, had gone to Swat for personal work and was infected by dengue.

They said the family had shifted the dengue patient to the District Headquarters Hospital but were told by doctors that they didn’t have proper arrangements for the treatment of dengue patients.

The officials said the best option available to the patient was to immediately move to Peshawar for treatment.

When contacted, medical superintendent of DHQ Hospital Dr Mohammad Shafiq claimed that the patient had yet to reach the hospital.

He confirmed that the hospital didn’t have the facilities to treat the patient and therefore, he would be referred to Peshawar for treatment.

However, an insider insisted that the dengue patient was kept at the casualty department of the hospital and was vomiting.

He said the staff didn’t know how to handle the patient.

AROUND 100 MORE DENGUE CASES: Another dengue patient on Thursday died at Saidu Group of Teaching Hospital in Mingora.

Earlier, dengue claimed four lives in the district.

Also in the day, 99 more residents of Swat district tested positive for dengue taking the number of the sufferers of the mosquito-borne disease to around 2,100.

When contacted, Dr Wasil Khan, focal person for SGTH, confirmed the death of dengue patient Rabiat.

He said the woman was taking treatment at home before being shifted to the hospital due to critical condition.