KARACHI, Nov 2: Amid the government’s claims that dengue is on its way out, a girl of 10 affected by mosquito bites died here at a government hospital on Thursday, increasing the dengue related deaths to 28 in the city.

According to the data maintained by the Dengue Fever Cell (DFC) of the provincial health department, the day also saw a record number of fresh arrivals of patients afflicted with mosquito-borne diseases. As many as 107 new patients with the symptoms similar to dengue fever were rushed to hospitals during the past 24 hours ending at 2pm.

In the meantime, citizens appeared more concerned over the present pace and effectiveness of the fumigation or fogging activities undertaken by the city government. Different offices of the government recorded claims from residents that spray of insecticides in a number of localities were yet to be carried out.

Talking to Dawn, Dr Abdul Majid, the focal person for the DFC and additional secretary of the health department said that the lately deceased patient, Faiqa d/o Rafiq, living in Korangi, a dengue positive case, was brought to the NICH, as he had been informed, on October 27 in a critical condition.

The patient was on ventilator and intensive care since her admission but could not improve despite efforts. Sensing that the patient was handled by some general physicians in the initial stage of the disease, Dr Majid urged the doctors operating in localities not to prolong the treatment of patients about whom they suspect that they might be suffering from viral haemorrhagic fever (VHF) or dengue and should refer them to some big government or private hospital immediately.

He said that with the latest death of the girl, the overall death toll of dengue patients soared to 31 in the province, including 3 from the interior of Sindh. In the meantime another 67 patients were discharged from 11 hospitals in the city, he added.

Of the 2,129 patients suspected of VHF or dengue fever admitted to hospitals during the last four and a half months, 688 were tested positive for dengue fever. As much as 305 patients were still under treatment at 15 government and private hospitals in the city, while another 10 at the Civil Hospital, Sukkur.

According to sources at hospitals, patients were brought for treatment from across the city, including areas like Korangi, Gulbahar, Manzoor Colony, North Nazimabad, Orangi Town, Shershah, Liaquatabad, North Karachi, Sharif Colony Landhi, F B Area, Shadman Town, Nazimabad, Gulistan-i-Jauher, PECHS, Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Baldia Town, New Karachi, Shah Faisal Colony and Malir.

Dr Khawaja Mukhtar, Medical Superintendent of the Lyari General Hospital, said that his hospital was receiving on average 4-5 patients suffering from high-grade fever and were given treatment accordingly. Patients are coming from within the vicinity of the hospital and if someone is found seriously ill he or she is rushed to the Civil Hospital Karachi for further tests and treatment, he added.

The position of in-house patients at different hospitals in the city on Thursday was recorded as Aga Khan University Hospital- 52 (35 new arrivals), Liaquat National Hospital-39(10 new), Civil Hospital Karachi-16 (no new case), Dr Ziauddin Hospital-33(15 new), Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre-42(14 new), National Institute of Child Health-16 (2 new), Bismillah Taqi Hospital-10 (6 new arrivals), Hamid Hospital-1 (1 new), Abbasi Shaheed Hopsital-32 (5 new), Zainul Abedin Hospital-3 (1 new), Baqai Hospital-20 (16 new), Patel General Hospital- 5 (2 new), Darul Shafa-17 (3 new), Chiniot General Hospital-17 (5 new), Zainab Punjawani Hospital-2 (2 new), Anjum Hospital-4 (no new arrivals),Barkat Children Hospital Orangi-2 (no new case).

Residents from various parts of the city, including PECHS, Masoom Shah Colony, Federal B Area, Nazimabad, Gulistan-i-Jauher, Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Malir, Lyari and some other parts of the city claimed that the fumigation teams as announced by the city government’s health department were unable to play any effective role. Schools and hospitals and other public places and streets in residential areas are still awaiting fumigation or fogging. We did not hear the vehicles generating fogs against mosquitoes so far, remarked a number of callers.

A source privy to the city government’s fumigation drive said that due to the limited mobility and operation time staffs deputed for fumigation were unable to address the problem of aedes aegypti, the mosquito known for the spread of dengue virus.

Without knowing that the liquid chemicals given to us for dilution with diesel at a ratio of 1: 20 litres or so are practically eliminating the mosquitoes or not, staffers have been able to carry out spray through vehicles for only 45 minutes at the sunrise, while the people are mostly asleep, said a town sanitation officer.

Another source confided that in order to make the people aware and to cover the entire area of a town or UC at a time, authorities have now decided to go for fogging for an enhanced duration and that too before the sunset so that the area people could witness and pacify themselves that staffs were out for fumigation.