LAHORE: The dengue cases crossed 11,000 in Punjab after 522 more people tested positive for the virus during the last 24 hours.

Of the new cases, 408 were reported from Lahore where the dengue fever is spreading at an alarming proportion in the city, followed by Rawalpindi where the number is 33.

The reports from the state-run hospitals of the provincial capital said the beds for admission of dengue patients had run short. Two to three patients were sharing a bed at the major teaching hospitals of the city while many others were forced to get treatment on stretchers in the corridors of the health facilities.

The health department said no death took place due to the dengue fever in any part of Punjab during the last 24 hours. It said a total 2,183 dengue patients were under treatment at various government and private sector hospitals including 1,245 in the health facilities of Lahore.

The department claimed that the Punjab government had allocated 4,949 beds for the treatment of dengue patients and most of these were vacant.

Published in Dawn, October 27th, 2021