A steep rise in dengue infections has put Karachi’s health care system under strain with both public and private hospitals reporting a growing influx of patients, doctors said on Monday. However, the Sindh government’s data seems to be downplaying the scale of the outbreak.
Officials at major government hospitals say they are receiving between 30 to 40 dengue-positive patients every month, while private facilities are recording a similar trend. At Civil Hospital Karachi alone, around 3,000 tests were conducted during the first 10 days of October, of which 355 were confirmed positive. Forty patients had to be admitted, and a 40-year-old woman from Orangi Town, who was also suffering from other illnesses, died after testing positive for dengue. This was the second reported dengue-related death in the city this year.
Doctors at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre and other tertiary-care hospitals confirmed a continuous rise in suspected dengue cases. Dr Saqib Ansari of Gulshan-e-Iqbal Children’s Hospital said his facility had been receiving 30 to 35 confirmed cases every month, with some children arriving in serious condition due to delayed treatment.
Doctors linked the growing number of cases to stagnant water, poor sanitation in residential areas and inadequate public awareness about preventive measures. They warned that without urgent intervention, Karachi could see a further spike in cases by mid-November, coinciding with post-monsoon humidity and rising mosquito breeding.
Despite mounting pressure from medical professionals, the Sindh health department’s dengue surveillance figures remain far lower than those reported by hospitals. In its October 11 update, the department claimed only 61 new cases across the province, with a total of 555 confirmed cases and one death since January.
Hospital officials, however, insist that hundreds of patients are currently under treatment in Karachi alone, questioning why a wide gap existed between the ground reality and official numbers.
Health experts have urged the provincial administration to launch aggressive fumigation in high-risk localities, clear drainage channels and initiate community-level awareness drives to encourage people to eliminate mosquito breeding spots around their homes. They have also appealed to the citizens to avoid storing water in open containers, use mosquito nets and repellents, and seek timely treatment if fever persists for more than two days.
Doctors warn that delayed diagnosis and self-medication lead to complications in vulnerable patients, particularly children and those with existing health conditions. They stressed that dengue prevention is only possible through coordinated efforts between health authorities, civic bodies and the public. .