ISLAMABAD: With the arrival of 98 new dengue cases in the hospitals of the twin cities, the patients’ tally in Islamabad alone crossed the 1,000 mark on Saturday.

District Health Officer (DHO) Islamabad Dr Zaeem Zia said out of the 98 cases 73 were reported from the rural areas and 25 from the urban localities.

He said 21 patients were admitted to Holy Family Hospital, 12 were under treatment in Benazir Bhutto Hospital, nine in Federal General Hospital, three were in Capital Hospital while 53 patients were being treated in various private hospitals.

Dr Zia said 24 patients surfaced in Tarlai, 15 in Koral, 12 came from Alipur, 10 from Tarnol, seven from Sohan, three from Rawat and two were reported from Sihala.

The DHO said the number of dengue patients in Islamabad had reached 1,030 - 698 from rural and 332 from the urban areas.

During the last 24 hours, the health department teams carried out indoor residual spray in 130 houses and conducted 541 fogging activities in the capital to eliminate potential breeding sites of dengue mosquito larva, Dr Zia said, adding that separate teams of the the District Health Office eliminated 1,231 potential breeding sites in Shah Allah Ditta, G-7, Phulgran and Pind Beghwal, Bhara Kahu, Rawat and Model Town, Sihala, Koral, Sohan, Tarlai, Jhangi Syedan, Kirpa, Chirrah, Tumair, Jagiot and Kurri union councils.

Stagnant water was also found in 37 houses in Bhara Kahu, Rawat and Model Town while larva was detected in 38 water containers.

Rawalpindi

As many as 46 more dengue patients from the garrison city landed in three government-run hospitals on Saturday, taking the tally to 488.

Besides, 14 dengue cases from Islamabad were admitted to Holy Family Hospital, Benazir Bhutto Hospital and District Headquarters Hospital.

According to data of the Punjab government, 15 patients arrived from Rawalpindi Cantonment Board areas, one from Chaklala Cantonment Board areas, seven from the city, four from Potohar Town and the remaining came from other parts of the district.

Mohammad Ramzan, a resident of Mohanpura, said the district administration had failed to launch fumigation campaign in his area during the last three weeks. A similar complaint was voiced by Talat Mehmood, a resident of Sarafa Bazaar.

“The cantonment board fumigation team has not made a single visit to Allahabad and its adjoining areas, though garbage remains dumped along the main graveyard which has become a breeding ground for mosquitoes and other insects,” said Mohammad Amjad Minhas, a resident of the area.

Khurram Malik from Misrial Road said there was a dire need to spray insecticides in and around the nullah and area adjacent to Bhatta Chowk.

A senior official of the district administration said dengue larvae was found in many places of the cantonment and city areas.

Published in Dawn, October 10th, 2021