Hospitals fear malaria outbreak in the wake of rains

Karachi’s hospitals fear that the recent rains in the metropolis and the coastal areas of Sindh and Balochistan have caused an epidemic of mosquito-borne diseases, especially malaria, dengue and chikungunya.

However, The News has learnt on Thursday that neither the health authorities nor the international health agencies operating in the country are doing enough to control the lethal outbreak of transmissible diseases.

Hundreds of patients with high-grade fever, shivering and flu-like symptoms are being taken to Karachi’s public and private hospitals, clinics and dispensaries from different city districts and suburbs, Thatta, Gharo, Gadap, and Hub and Lasbela in Balochistan. Most of them have tested positive for malaria, dengue or chikungunya.

Data collected from different public hospitals revealed that thousands of cases of malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases have been reported at the health facilities, where hundreds are still being treated for the lethal disease.

Malaria is a serious and, sometimes, fatal disease caused by a parasite that commonly infects a certain type of mosquito that feeds on humans. People who get malaria are typically very sick with high fever, shaking chills and flu-like illness. It is a treatable disease if diagnosed early. If undiagnosed and untreated for several days, it can result in serious complications and death, especially among children and the elderly.

“Malaria and dengue are a gift of the monsoon due to stagnant water at roads, in parks and playgrounds, on rooftops, etc,” haematologist Dr Tahir Sultan Shamsi told The News. “The only solution to get rid of these vector-borne diseases is effective vector control through maintaining hygienic and environmental conditions.”

Citing the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) figures, Dr Shamsi said that millions of people contracted malaria every year in Pakistan, adding that thousands died due to lack of proper health facilities, unawareness and mismanagement of their disease.

“When malaria patients are brought to us, they are often already in critical condition, but their attendants demand that we restored their health within hours,” he lamented.

He called for improving the city’s sanitary conditions, especially in squatter settlements and localities where people live along the banks of sewage drains. He also called for creating awareness among people so they could protect themselves from mosquitoes spreading malaria and dengue.

WHO’s figures show that the disease burden of malaria is over 1.5 million people in Pakistan annually, of which thousands die due to lack of treatment facilities and unavailability of medicines and proper care, as in many cases the disease remains undiagnosed and patients die before reaching the hospital.

“Malaria is a treatable disease these days, and a course of an anti-malarial combination medicine called Artemether and Lumefantrine, which are taken for three days, usually treats malaria, but only if diagnosed timely with immediate start of treatment,” said gastroenterologist Dr Shahid Ahmed.

Dr Ahmed warned that other available antibiotics and medicines should not be prescribed by doctors for malaria, and that patients should refrain from self-medication. He also warned that self-medication in case of malaria and other diseases such as dengue could have serious consequences for the patients.

“In case of dengue, people should not use antibiotics and, instead, consult a qualified physician. Only a qualified physician can prescribe medicines for a patient after examining their condition.”

Meanwhile, Sindh Malaria Control Programme officials dismissed the impression of a malaria outbreak in Karachi, saying that it was a “rural phenomenon”, and that no sharp rise of malaria cases had been reported anywhere across the province. “Only 21 malaria cases have been reported from the [Dr Ruth KM Pfau] Civil Hospital Karachi, which shows that it is under control,” said programme manager Dr Naheed Jamali. “Our officials are keeping an eye over the malaria situation in the city.”

She, however, admitted that no private hospital or clinic in the metropolis and most of the government hospitals, including those run by the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, did not share their data on malaria or any other vector-borne disease, including dengue and chikungunya, with them.

Malaria is a serious and, sometimes, fatal disease caused by a parasite that commonly infects a certain type of mosquito that feeds on humans. People who contract malaria are typically very sick with high fever, shaking chills and flu-like illness

Malaria is diagnosed with a simple test called MP ICT and often diagnostic laboratories give the test result on the same day or in some cases by the next day

Malaria is a treatable disease if diagnosed early and a combination medicine is prescribed for three days in the form of six tablets by qualified physicians