‘1,239 dengue cases reported in seven months’

The Sindh Health Department has informed the chief minister that during the past seven months 1,239 dengue fever cases have been reported across the province, and of them six patients succumbed to the disease.

A report submitted by Health Secretary Saeed Awan to the CM Secretariat says that 1,239 cases of dengue fever were reported all over the province from January 20 to August 20, and of them six patients had died.

The district-wise breakdown reported by the health department shows 167 cases in District Central, 155 in District West, 147 in District East, 141 in District South, 69 in District Malir and 52 in District Korangi.

Fourteen cases were reported in Hyderabad, six in Larkana, four each in Ghotki, Khairpur, Kashmore and Mirpurkhas, three each in Jacobabad and Shaheed Benazirabad, two each in Tando Allahyar, Matiari, Jamshoro, Qambar-Shahdadkot, Shikarpur and Sukkur, one each in Naushahro Feroze, Badin, Thatta, Dadu, Tharparkar and Sanghar, while the districts where 464 other cases were reported could not be specified.

The report says that 207 cases were reported in August alone. The report also says that out of 1,239 dengue fever cases, six deaths occurred in the city: two in Korangi district, and one each in Malir, West, South and East districts.

CM Syed Murad Ali Shah has directed the health department to launch an awareness campaign through the dengue programme so that the people could take precautionary measures. Shah also directed the local government department to carry out fumigation all across the province through the local bodies.