RAWALPINDI: As many as 95 more dengue patients landed in the garrison city’s three government run hospitals, taking the season’s tally to 3,279.

At present 252 dengue patients are under treatment in Holy Family Hospital, Rawalpindi Teaching Hospital, Benazir Bhutto Hospital and tehsil headquarters hospitals.

Mostly patients arrived from Chak Jalaldin, Lakkhan, Gulistan Colony, Lane 4 Peshawar Road, Chaklala Scheme-III, Chaudhry Bostan Khan Road, Khanna Dak, Asghar Mall Scheme, Jamia Masjid Road, Dhoke Dalal, Dhoke Mangtal, Pirwadhai Mor, Morah Noori, Takhat Pari and adjoining areas.

Doctors fear the dengue virus will continue in the city till next month. “Last year, the hospitals received the dengue patient still December end but this year, the local administration has taken measures to eliminate the mosquito and it is expected that the number of patients will reduce by next week,” said a senior doctor of Benazir Bhutto Hospital.

When contacted, district administration official said that the number of patients contracted with mosquito-borne disease was decreasing with the passage of time.

He said that the local administration had been directed to continue its effort to eliminate the dengue virus from the city areas and continue fogging in the affected areas. He said that the indoor residual spray had also been started in the affected areas as the chilly weather forced the mosquito to hide inside the house in warm conditions.

He said that the people should also adopt safety measures and ensure that water did not accumulate in and around their houses . About indoor and outdoor residual spray by Rawalpindi Cantonment Board, the official said that the RCB was separate Civic body and it had been informed to adopt standard operating procedures of the Punjab government.

Published in Dawn, October 19th, 2024