Rising dengue cases: Traders protest lack of health facilities

MANSEHRA: The traders on Monday blocked the main road to traffic in protest against the shortage of treatment facilities at the only civil hospital to cater to the needs of dengue patients in Darband.

“The dengue cases are on the rise as every household has patients but the only civil health facility in the town is without medicines and other facilities,” Mohammad Shahid, the president of the trader’s body, told protesters in Darband.

The angry protesters blocked the Darband-Oghi road to traffic and demanded treatment services and the establishment of the isolation wards.They chanted slogans against the district health officer and Health Department, saying in the past the patients were provided with medicines and other facilities during a health emergency.

“Patients, who are taken to the facility, are referred to private laboratories for tests. No isolation ward was established at the hospital,” Shahid said.“If the government doesn’t take prompt measures to contain the spread of the dengue in the town the situation would further deteriorate,” he said. The protesters dispersed following SHO Darband Dost Mohammad and Tehsildar Maqbool Hussain assured them that they would convey their demands to the authorities concerned.