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Tuesday March 19, 2024

Dengue fever outbreak may hit population in two weeks

By Muhammad Qasim
September 24, 2018

Rawalpindi : A dengue fever outbreak may hit population in this region of the country within next two weeks or so as the number of patients being reported from the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi along with adjoining areas is on the rise and all risk factors considered important for an outbreak of the infection are in existence.

It is important that infected travellers or incidences of infection among natives is one of the main risk factor for dengue fever outbreak and the allied hospitals in town have already been receiving significant number of patients from AJK and Khyber Pakhtunkhwah along with natives from Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

The peak season for dengue fever transmission in the region starts after the middle of September and data collected by ‘The News’ in last three weeks reveals that the number of confirmed patients of dengue fever is gradually on the rise. In the first two weeks of September, the allied hospitals received a total of 21 confirmed patients of the infection while in the third week of this month; as many as 19 patients were tested positive at the two teaching hospitals in town.

A good number of confirmed dengue fever patients have already been reported from Rawalpindi and Islamabad and it is time for the concerned health authorities to take adequate measures to check spread of the infection, said a top health official serving at Holy Family Hospital that has already discharged well over 500 patients of dengue fever including 55 confirmed patients.

Pleading anonymity, he said the spread of dengue fever is slower at present but if proper preventive measures are not taken by all stakeholders well in time, a possible outbreak may hit population in the next two weeks.

It is worth mentioning here that during the last 12 years, the population in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi faced the worst ever dengue fever outbreak in 205 and 2016 with more than 4500 confirmed patients reported at the public sector hospitals of the twin cities in 2015 and over 4000 cases in 2016.

After the most severe outbreaks of the infection in 2015 and 2016, the health experts stressed on the need of removal of heaps of garbage and unnecessary water accumulations though the concerned government authorities seemed to have paid no heed to the opinion and the solid waste management remained poor throughout the year from January to date and it is evident from the existing situation as one can witness heaps of garbage and rubbish dumps on a number of points in district Rawalpindi and in rural areas of the federal capital.

According to Additional District Health Officer at ICT Health Department Dr. Muhammad Najeeb Durrani, the female ‘aedes’ mosquitoes, the vector that causes dengue fever carry one of the four types of dengue virus from the dengue patient to the healthy person and transmit the disease.

He explained that usually, the dengue fever vector lay the first eggs of the year at the beginning of May and the mosquito density is maximal in early July, late August and September and the dengue fever cases increase proportionally with the mosquitoes’ density.

People are talking about -- the high rate of suicide among young girls in Chitral, whose hopes and aspirations are often crushed by local culture and norms, which includes control parents have over their lives. Technology has opened a whole new world for young people who want to make something of their lives and after being exposed to information that makes them dream of better things, it is no wonder girls with some semblance of education do not want to be disposed off in marriage to the highest bidder.

-- the shocking report that only 16% gas is accounted there being no record of where the rest of the 84%, goes. Experts probing the issue reckon it is lost to leakage from old pipelines; faulty meters and misuse where multiple users are connected illegally to one outlet. People say the authorities need to look into the matter and fix these faults before thinking of importing gas from other countries, as there will be enough for the needs of the country.

-- the sudden closing down of forty schools belonging to the Sindh government being run by a philanthropist and how the parents are running from pillar to post to no avail because their children are affected. People say thousands of schools in the province are not functioning, so it was a blessing that these forty schools catered to the needs of one area and to shut them down probably because the philanthropist belongs to a rival political party is a shame.

-- the enthusiasm with which the tree plantation drive was taken up by individuals; organisations and the government and how it goes to show we can be enthusiastic about a cause but what is important is that the follow up activity of keeping these trees alive should also be maintained. People say it’s all very well to support a cause when media is around to give a photo-op about it and another thing to work quietly to see it’s a success.

-- the freak accident that took the life of a young girl and how it has raised questions about systems and organisations which are supposed to take care of a citizens needs in times of a crisis. People say there are always two sides to every story and as those affected plead for an overhaul of a desensitized policing and medical system, the concerns and constraints of service providers should be kept in mind and a working solution found.

-- how most of our sportspersons (and their fans) give statements before a match, stating they will ‘win’ and how they need to say they ‘will try their best,’ so that they do not end up with egg on their face and disappointment when they lose! People say it’s all very well to invoke God’s help before a match but the well-known axiom should also be kept in mind that God helps those who help themselves with extra effort and dedication.

-- the manner in which female citizens were shown crying over the rise in price on cosmetics and baby pampers after the mini budget and how frivolous they sounded being upset over such trivial matters. People say they should be happy the local cosmetic industry will get a boost as more sales are recorded, while mothers of babies need to go back to cloth napkins which are now the ‘in’ choice for a healthy and happy child. – I.H.