175 patients test positive for dengue in 4 days

Rawalpindi
The dengue fever outbreak in town is getting more and more intense and the number of confirmed cases of the infection is continuously on the rise belying tall claims made repeatedly by the concerned authorities in the Punjab government.
Data collected by ‘The News’ reveals that within last four days only, well over 175 patients were tested positive for dengue fever at the three teaching hospitals in town while on Friday, as many as 221 patients were undergoing treatment at the allied hospitals for treatment of the infection.
Early in the morning on Friday, the total number of confirmed patients registered here with the allied hospitals in town has crossed the figure of 950 while result in over 50 probable cases is yet to be received by the hospitals’ administrations.
Holy Family Hospital has tested a total of 438 patients positive for dengue fever till Friday while 97 patients including 68 confirmed patients have been undergoing treatment at the HFH, said Medical Superintendent at HFH Dr. Arshad Ali Sabir while talking to ‘The News’ on Friday.
He added there is no decline in number of cases of the infection for past one week and on average, 35 to 40 patients of the infection are being reported daily.
It is important that the provincial government has given charge of the seat of Executive District Officer (Health) to Dr. Arshad replacing Dr. Nasir Mehmood Thursday evening apparently giving an impression whether the former EDO (Health) was alone responsible for not putting a check on spread of dengue fever in the district.
On Friday, as many as 76 patients including 46 confirmed cases were undergoing treatment at Benazir Bhutto Hospital that has tested a total of 380 patients positive for the infection so far, said BBH chief Dr. Asif Qadir Mir while talking to ‘The News’.
He added the BBH admitted 30 patents of the infection in last 24 hours while result in 27 cases is yet to be finalised. To a query, he said the number of patients is increasing for the last four days and on average, the hospital has been admitting 30 to 35 new cases daily. Previously, the BBH was receiving 20 to 22 cases of the infection daily, he said.
District Headquarters Hospital has tested well over 120 patients positive for dengue fever while on Friday, as many as 48 patients of the infection were undergoing treatment at the hospital, said DHQ Hospital chief Dr. Khalid Randhawa while talking to ‘The News’.
It is important that last year, in 2014, till October 2, the total number of confirmed patients of dengue fever registered with the allied hospitals was less than 80 while this year, the number has already crossed the figure of 950 and the peak season for transmission of dengue fever has set in.
According to health experts, the climate in October is considered to be the most suitable for transmission of dengue fever in this region of the country.