KARACHI, Nov 3: Due to the preventive measures taken by the city government, the devastation caused by dengue has been nominal this year.

This was stated by City Nazim Mustafa Kamal on Saturday. He was talking to newsmen after inaugurating an upgraded pathological laboratory at Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, run by the city government and also a teaching hospital of the Karachi Medical and Dental College.

Mr Kamal said that generally the number of fatalities and patients multiplied if the dengue fever disease re-emerged the second year, but the situation in Karachi was well under control and the damage had been contained remarkably.

“We have not only redeployed about 800 malaria coolies employed by the government, but also increased the number of machines in order to have extensive fumigation or fogging against the dengue carrying mosquitoes as well”, he said.

Coming on to the pathological lab, the nazim said that after the acquisition of the latest diagnostic equipment and deployment of trained manpower, Abbasi Shaheed Hospital’s laboratory had now become the only lab in the government sector throughout the country with such a unique, sophisticated and computerised diagnostic system. Now pathological reports would be available at the computers of respective physicians or consultants in Abbasi Hospital simultaneously, he noted.

“It cost the city government an amount to the tune of Rs40 million for undertaking civil/electrical works and supply of furniture and fixtures for the laboratory and electro-medical equipment and now 153 different tests can be performed at the lab”, the nazim said.

He urged the staff to take care of the new facilities and package as their own and should not allow anybody to damage those or sabotage this integrated, reliable and accurate test system at any stage.

He announced that in-house patients would not be charged for the tests while those seeking tests from outside the hospital would be required to pay only 10 per cent of what was being charged in the market.

The nazim said that the condition of Abbasi Shaheed Hospital was not very good a few years back, now with the efforts of the government and dedication of its staff and doctors, the hospital had been able to regain the confidence of the people.

The city government would provide some additional funds to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital annually for the smooth working of the pathological laboratory, he said.