RAWALPINDI: There was no let-up in the number of dengue cases as both Rawalpindi and Islamabad reported patients on Saturday.

The garrison city recorded 78 new patients while 275 cases surfaced in the federal capital during the last two days.

According to the district health offices of both cities, so far the season’s tally in Rawalpindi stood at 1,204 and in Islamabad at 1,331.

At present, 289 confirmed dengue patients are admitted to the three government-run hospitals in Rawalpindi - 67 in Holy Family Hospital (HFH), 122 in Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH) and 100 in District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital. Out of the total patients, 210 belonged to Rawalpindi district, 66 were from Islamabad, two from Haripur, three patients each from Attock and Abbottabad and one patient each from Chakwal, Kotli, Malakand, Mianwali and Rajanpur.

Deputy Commissioner Tahir Farooq said there was a need to educate people about dengue virus in the district, adding that fogging would be carried out in the badly-hit areas of Rawalpindi.

He said after Saturday’s rain, the health authority had been asked to check all union councils and eliminate the dengue larvae, adding that in the past two months, heavy rains had created problems for the residents.

Islamabad

According to documents provided by Islamabad district health department to Dawn, during the last two days, 152 cases were reported from the rural areas and 123 from the urban localities of the city.

The data regarding rural areas showed that during the current season, as many as 258 patients surfaced from Tarlai, 182 from Sohan, over 100 from Sihala and over 50 from Tarnol and Koral areas.

Giving a breakdown of cases in the urban areas, the data said 56 patients emerged from G-6, 52 from H-15, and over 30 from G-7.

According to District Health Officer Dr Zaeem Zia, efforts were being made to eradicate mosquitoes and clear ponds which had formed again following Saturday’s rain. He also appealed to people to take precautionary measures and destroy the breeding sites of dengue mosquitoes.

Talking to Dawn, Ministry of National Health Services spokesperson Sajid Shah said people should take precautionary measures to reduce mosquito bites by wearing full-sleeve shirts and long dresses to cover themselves and use repellents, coils and electric vapour mats.

“Dengue season starts in August and ends in November. Whenever a case is reported, fumigation campaign is immediately carried out in the area to ensure that all mosquitoes are eliminated. We appeal to citizens to keep their houses and streets clean otherwise mosquitoes cannot be eradicated,” he added.

Published in Dawn, September 18th, 2022