LAHORE: Punjab healthcare experts will remain in Peshawar to assist their counterparts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to control the dengue epidemic.

A decision to the effect was taken at a meeting held at the Governor’s House in Peshawar, a participant told Dawn by phone on Sunday evening.

“The KP authorities also requested for the provision of Dextron 40 infusion, a must for fluid management of patient having dengue fever, besides chemical for carrying out fogging in the affected area,” said the participant while adding that the required things would reach Peshawar by Monday evening.

The participant in the meeting said that Additional Director General of Health Services Dr Furrukh Sultan, senior doctors and the team of entomologists would continue capacity building of the KP doctors and other officials concerned.

After the meeting, Punjab Minister for Primary and Secondary Healthcare Khwaja Imran Nazir and Dengue Experts Advisory Group convener Prof Dr Faisal Masood left for Lahore.

“Initially, we were denied access to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Teaching Hospital, situated in the dengue-affected area. It was the public pressure that forced the KP authorities to review the decision. Also, some senior doctors of KP intervened and convinced the authorities that the lives of a large number of people are at risk. Furthermore, they argued that a doctor would always try his or her best for the well being of a patient,” said the participant while seeking anonymity.

Meanwhile, quoting Minister for Primary and Secondary Healthcare Khwaja Imran Nazir, a spokesman said here that Prof Faisal Masood and his team examined some 800 or so people during the last 24 hours and around 150 of them were diagnosed with dengue.

The Punjab government dispatched two mobile health units, eight fully equipped Rescue 1122 ambulances, three CBC analyser machines and NS-1 kits to Peshawar.

“A mobile health unit is already there,” said the spokesman.

Published in Dawn, August 21st, 2017