CHAKWAL, Nov 1: Despite the fact that dengue is reaching epidemic proportions in Chakwal, its district headquarters (DHQ) hospital does not have platelets separator machine, a key piece of equipment in treatment of dengue.

“We have demanded of the government to provide the machine but our demand has fallen on deaf ears,” a highly credible source in the health department told Dawn requesting anonymity.

Besides platelets machine costing more than Rs170,000 the government could not give Rs100,000 to the health department for purchase of fumigation machines. He said although the dengue had plagued the whole district, Punjab government had not provided sufficient fund to tackle the disease. He said an overwhelming population of several villages was suffering from dengue fever but the areas had not been fumigated.

Dhab Parri was the most affected village where 75 per cent of the residents had developed symptoms of dengue he said adding but the health officials of Tehsil Municipal Administration of Chakwal had only visited the village once and fumigated one street just to fulfil the formality.

“A vehicle came to our village three weeks ago and fumigated a street,” residents of Dhab Parri village told Dawn .

Daily 100 to 130 suspected patients of dengue visit hospitals of them some are admitted in the hospitals.

So far seven patients, Mohammad Rafique, Ahmad Khan, Iftikhar, Safia Begum, Naik Mohammad, Shafeh Mohammad and Maimoona, a student of class tenth, have died in Dhab Parri village.

The other two most affected villages Mulhal Mughlan and Pindi Gujran too have not been fumigated yet. Some of the confirmed dengue patients have been referred to Benazir Bhutto Hospital. When contacted Executive District Officer (health) Dr Nasir Mehmood said that only one person Sajid Ali had died of dengue.

“There are 68 confirmed dengue patients while 363 are suspected patients in Chakwal,” Dr. Nasir maintains.

He said that they would get platelet machine within next few days. He, however, could not give the exact quantity of platelets, the DHQ hospital needs. “The fumigation drive is underway and I will receive more chemicals for fumigation tomorrow,” Dr. Nasir said.

He strongly refuted media reports that six doctors of DHQ Hospital had contracted dengue. “Only one doctor has tested positive for dengue while another one is suffering from typhoid,” Dr Nasir said.