Dengue fever outbreak gets intense

Rawalpindi: The dengue fever outbreak that has already hit population in various localities of town is getting more intense as within last one week, well over 100 confirmed cases of the infection have been reported at the three allied hospitals taking the total number of confirmed patients of the infection so far reported at the allied hospitals to over 330.

According to data collected by ‘The News’ on Tuesday, the teaching hospitals in town including Holy Family Hospital, Benazir Bhutto Hospital and District Headquarters Hospital registered as many as 55 confirmed cases of dengue fever within last 72 hours while in last 24 hours, the three teaching hospitals received over 20 confirmed patients of the infection.

The data reveals that the situation regarding spread of the infection is becoming much intense as compared to the number of dengue fever patients that were being registered at the allied hospitals before the first week of October this year.

The allied hospitals received a total of 170 dengue fever patients till October 6 but the number has almost doubled in last 10 days. On Tuesday, as many as 62 patients of dengue fever including 30 confirmed patients were undergoing treatment at the three allied hospitals in town. In last 24 hours, a total of 20 patients have been tested positive for the infection, 17 at HFH and three at BBH while no confirmed patient reported at DHQ Hospital in last 24 hours.

To date, the HFH has received well over 270 patients of dengue fever while 37 confirmed patients reached DHQ Hospital. The BBH received the least number of confirmed patients this year which is 18.

The data collected by ‘The News’ also reveals that the HFH has so far admitted well over 880 probable patients of dengue fever this year of which 830 have been discharged till Tuesday morning while the BBH admitted a total of 71 patients so far.

It is important that the weather conditions in the region remain suitable for spread of the infection and for growth of ‘aedes aegypti’, the mosquito that causes dengue fever till the middle of November and according to many health experts, the fact makes the existing situation more alarming.

The number of cases of dengue fever reaching allied hospitals is continuously on the rise that hints that the concerned authorities have failed in checking spread of the infection in this region of the country.