ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) has received four confirmed dengue patients.

However, only one of them is a resident of Islamabad while the three others belonged to Haripur, Abbottabad and Kashmir.

It may be mentioned that a dengue prevention programme, involving the Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD), the ICT administration, the Capital Development Authority and hospitals, was introduced in 2011.

An official of Pims requesting not to be identified said all patients having the symptoms of dengue were shifted to the isolation wards. “The dengue patient from Islamabad is a resident of Kurri Road.”

Training sessions regarding the dengue awareness and prevention are being arranged for the technical and professional health staff of the hospital,” he said.

Three of the patients came from outside the capital city

Pims media coordinator Dr Waseem Khawaja while talking to Dawn confirmed that the four patients were diagnosed with dengue. “Seven beds have been arranged in the isolation room in the Medical Ward II. However, the number of beds can be increased if more dengue patients arrived in the hospital,” he said.

In reply to a question, Dr Khawaja said some dengue patients required transfusion of platelets. The blood bank of the hospital has a separate desk to address the demand of the blood and platelets.

He said platelets were needed when a patient’s blood did not have the normal clotting ability.

“Fever may lead to bleeding, low level of platelets and blood plasma leakage, or into dengue shock syndrome which is low blood pressure,” he said.

Published in Dawn, October 25th , 2014