Hospitals receive 116 dengue patients in two weeks

Rawalpindi : The number of confirmed patients of dengue fever being reported here at the three allied hospitals in town is on the rise and the trend of incidence of the infection indicates that a dengue fever outbreak has starting hitting population in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

Data collected by ‘The News’ on Saturday reveals that in last two weeks, from September 22 to October 6, the allied hospitals including Holy Family Hospital (HFH), Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH) and District Headquarters Hospital have tested at least 116 patients positive for dengue fever till filing of this report while the number is continuously on the rise.

To date, the allied hospitals have tested a total of 178 patients positive for dengue fever that has already claimed a life at the DHQ Hospital in town.

In last 24 hours, the allied hospitals received as many as 11 confirmed patients of the infection while confirmatory results in a total of 18 cases are being awaited by the HFH only. In last 24 hours, the allied hospitals had to admit a total of 27 patients, 18 at the HFH and nine at BBH while a total of 71 dengue fever suspects reported at dengue fever outpatients departments of the three teaching hospitals.

The burden of dengue fever patients at the allied hospitals in increasing as to date, the allied hospitals have received 3,200 patients at their dengue OPDs of which over 1,600 were suspected as dengue fever patients though 720 were registered as probable cases and 178 turned out to be positive for the infection.

On Saturday, a total of 53 patients were undergoing treatment at the allied hospitals including 41 patients at HFH, eight patients at BBH and four patients at DHQ Hospital. Another alarming fact is that six patients have so far been diagnosed with dengue haemorrhagic fever of which three were admitted at HFH and two at BBH on Saturday.

Dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF) and dengue shock syndrome (DSS) are rare complications of the infection and these cases are differentiated from dengue fever on the basis of history of bleeding from gum or skin and are considered as more fatal than dengue fever cases.

It is important that of the total 178 patients so far confirmed positive at the allied hospitals, as many as 146 were tested positive at Department of Infectious Diseases (DID) of Rawalpindi Medical University at HFH. The BBH has tested a total of 18 patients positive for dengue fever this season while 14 confirmed patients reported at DHQ Hospital.

It is worth mentioning here that till October 6 in 2017, the HFH had tested 141 patients positive for dengue fever while in 2016, as many as 410 patients were tested positive for the infection at HFH till October 6 and this year, the number is 146.

The allied hospitals have been receiving patients from scattered areas of the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi though the data reveals that dengue fever has started hitting certain localities like Tarnol where population has been facing outbreak of the infection, said a top official at RMU while talking to ‘The News’ on Saturday.

Pleading anonymity, he said the trend of incidence of dengue fever in certain localities and the increase in patients’ influx hint that the situation may get worse in the days to come and the outbreak may get severe if prompt action is not taken by the concerned authorities and individuals well in time. It is time to create awareness among public on prevention and control of dengue fever to avoid a severe outbreak, he said.