THIS year so far 3,377 dengue cases have been reported in Punjab, according to the Punjab health department. According to a report issued by the department, 2,608 patients — out of total 3,377 — were discharged from hospitals after treatment. The health department report said that six dengue patients across the province were in intensive care units, while the rest are out of danger.

The government is trying to cure the wound by just putting a band-aid on it, hoping that it will heal over time. I am skeptical.

While the government had provided healthcare units across the country, it does not seem interested in finding the root of the problem or addressing it.

The health department should look into this before the situation becomes worse. Practical steps need to be taken now, otherwise we will regret it later.

Rizwanullah
Mingora

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DENGUE cases are rising all over the country faster than anyone could imagine.

The first confirmed outbreak of dengue fever in Pakistan was in 1994, but a sudden rise in cases and the annual epidemic trend first occurred in Karachi in November 2005.

Since 2010, Pakistan has been experiencing an epidemic of dengue fever that has caused 16,580 confirmed cases and 257 deaths in Lahore and nearly 5,000 cases and 60 deaths in the rest of the country. The three provinces facing the epidemic are Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Sindh.

In September, more than 1,500 people were hospitalised in Karachi with dengue. Five people died as well. A reason for this could be the recent monsoon rains and the general filthy condition of the streets.

Many people, especially children and teens, may experience no signs or symptoms during a mild case of dengue fever. When symptoms do occur, they usually begin four to seven days after you are bitten by an infected mosquito. Most people recover within a week or so. In some cases, symptoms worsen and can become life-threatening. Blood vessels often become damaged and leaky. And the number of clot-forming cells (platelets) in your bloodstream drops. This can cause a severe form of dengue fever, called dengue hemorrhagic fever, severe dengue or dengue shock syndrome.

I request the government to do something about the city’s mosquito situation.

Saima Hayat
Allah Bakht

Published in Dawn, October 3rd, 2019