LAHORE: The number of dengue cases is on the increase in Punjab as 218 new patients were reported during the last 24 hours across the province. Most of them were reported in Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Multan and Lahore.

According to the official figures, the total number of dengue patients in Punjab has reached 3,211 so far this year.

A spokesperson for the health department here in Lahore said every possible treatment facility is being provided to the dengue patients and the pace of operation to root out dengue larvae had also been accelerated.

Virus claims another life in Faisalabad

He said out of the total (3,211) dengue patients, 2,552 had been discharged from the government and private hospitals. Of the admitted patients, six were under treatment in the intensive care units (ICUs) of the hospitals due to their critical condition while others were reported to be out of danger.

The spokesman further said that during the current year 1,386 cases had been registered against the people for showing negligence regarding presence of dengue larva and its growth. Similarly, the teams of health department also got arrested 164 people and issued warning to 31,984 others for violating anti-dengue regulations.

FAISALABAD: A 64-old-man dengue patient died at the Allied Hospital.

The deceased, identified as Saeed of Chak 197-RB, was brought to the hospital on Sept 26 and was kept in the isolation ward set up for dengue patients.

A couple of days ago, a 16-year-old boy, Aryan, had succumbed to dengue fever at the Allied Hospital. Eighteen dengue patients are currently under treatment at the hospital.

BAHAWALPUR: Four more patients tested positive for dengue fever at the Bahawal Victoria Hospital (BVH), taking the total number of patients admitted to hospital this year to72. Out of 72, 14 are presently under treatment at the dengue ward of the hospital.

This was informed by BVH emergency ward director Dr Aamir Bokhari to Muhammad Hanif Pitafi, adviser to the chief minister on health, who paid a visit to the hospital on Saturday.

Mr Pitafi was apprised of the latest position with regard to dengue fever and virus in the city and its suburbs. He said a majority of dengue patients at the BVH had contracted the virus in Lahore, Islamabad and Karachi where they lived. He also went round the dengue ward at the BVH where Quaid-i-Azam Medical College Principal Prof Dr Javed Iqbal briefed him on the health delivery system at the four local health facilities working under his supervision in the city.

MUZAFFARGARH: Fifteen cases of dengue have been confirmed in the Muzaffargarh district, most of them labourers who used to work in other districts.

This was stated by Makhdoom Hassan Raza, adviser to the CM on Forests and Fisheries.

In meeting here, he said out of the 15 cases, 12 had been gone to their homes while three had been under treatment in the District Headquarters Hospital.

The doctors said there was no shortage of medicines for dengue treatment in the hospital and all patients had fully recovered except three, who were under treatment in hospital.

DHQ Hospital’s Medical Superintendent Dr Mehr Iqbal was present in the meeting.

Deputy Commissioner Dr Ehtesham Anwar formed teams that were busy checking tyre shops and water ponds in the city areas.

Published in Dawn, September 29th, 2019