RAWALPINDI: As the three allied hospitals in the garrison city continued receiving suspected dengue patients, three more patients died within 24 hours taking the tally to 25 during the season.

There were 602 confirmed patients admitted to the three hospitals on Monday.

Of the 25 deaths, 16 belonged to Rawalpindi, six to Islamabad and one each to Attock and Chakwal and AJK. Four of the patients died on Saturday-Sunday night while one expired on Sunday and two on Monday.

According to sources, a report about the deaths and 16,735 suspected patients who had arrived in the allied hospitals along with 5,472 positive cases had been sent to the Dengue Experts Advisory Group in Lahore.

The number of patients currently admitted to the three hospitals is 797, including 245 confirmed patients who were brought to the hospitals during the last 24 hours.

A doctor at a clinic said she had never attended so many dengue patients as she did during the last a couple of days.

The same situation was observed in private pathology laboratories where people were seen collecting their test reports.

Thought the district administration has established five dengue filter clinics in the affected areas to facilitate patients and reduce the burden on the allied hospitals people were mostly visiting private laboratories for blood tests.

The District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ) has so far received 3,453 patients. However, 48 patients with dengue virus were admitted to the hospital during the last 24 hours.

As many as 1,784 suspected patients reported to Benazir Bhutto Hospital since January while 1,476 of them tested positive for dengue. However, 60 confirmed patients were admitted to hospital during the last 24 hours.

In the Holy Family Hospital (HFH), 12,979 suspected dengue cases were admitted so far. Of the total suspected patients, 2,852 were confirmed cases and 19 of them died. Of the 19 deaths, 10 belonged to Rawalpindi, six to Islamabad, one each to Attock, Chakwal and AJK.

As many as 137 patients with dengue virus were also admitted to the HFH during the last 24 hours.

A dengue case was also reported in Defence Housing Authority (DHA). However, fumigation was being carried out in the area by the housing authority.

On the other hand, the Punjab government is monitoring the situation and the anti-dengue campaign as the virus is spreading in the garrison city sparking panic among the residents.

Dr Inayatur Rehman, the focal person for BBH, told Dawn that the number of patients with dengue virus had been declining for the last two days due to the change in the weather.

“As the temperature will decrease, the number of patients will also decline,” he said.

Published in Dawn, October 1st, 2019