HYDERABAD, Nov 3: District Nazim Kanwar Naveed Jamil has directed officials concerned to adopt precautionary measures in the district to curb spread of dengue virus before it turns into an epidemic.

Speaking at a meeting of district officers regarding eradication of dengue virus on Thursday, the nazim said that realising the magnitude of the problem, the district government had adopted precautionary measures by sending eight fumigation teams in the field.

He said that the administration was providing treatment facilities at all hospitals as a result the number of patients had declined rapidity and the situation was totally under control.

He said that according to reports presented by the health department only 23 suspected dengue patients had been admitted to hospitals of the district out of which nine cases were found positive.

He said that out of the nine patients, four belonged to the Hyderabad district while remaining five patients had been brought from neighbouring districts.

He said that four patients of the Hyderabad district had recovered due to timely efforts by doctors.

He said that one patient who died soon after his arrival at a hospital was not examined to determine the cause of his death.

He said that according to a survey of doctors, out of four patients of Hyderabad, three patients with dengue positive were those who daily travelled to and from Karachi or were living near bus stands for Karachi.

He said that the district government had decided to carry out spray in each passenger bus coming from Karachi at its entering points in Hyderabad to kill travelling mosquitoes before entering the city.

The nazim informed the meeting that the district government had also decided to increase fumigation machines from eight to 23, for which five big and five small machines were being purchased while four machines were being acquired, two each from the TMA city and cantonment board and an additional machine had also been purchased by the management of one UC Latifabad Hyderabad.

Mr Jamil said that the district government had prepared a strategy to educate the people to make them aware for adopting precautionary measures as it was believed that care was better than cure.

He directed the EDO health to depute a panel of doctors and depute them in mosques on Friday, in churches on Sunday and in temples every Wednesday to educate the people about taking precautionary measures at their own level.

He directed the EDO health that hospitals, rural health centres and basic health units be facilitated with medical staff and required medicines to avoid any loss of life there.

He directed him to provide wireless telephone sets at each medical centre, lacking communication facilities, so that attendance and performance of the staff working there could be monitored.

He also directed him to hire the services of electronic media for health education of the people.

The nazim advised the people to take care and inform the district government about any case of dengue virus if in their knowledge.