RAWALPINDI: There is no letup in dengue cases as 631 more patients reached the three govt-run hospitals on Tuesday, taking the tally to 7,448 during the last one month.

As many as 804 patients reported to the three hospitals during the last 24 hours.

According to official figures, 196 of the patients who reached the hospitals during the last 24 hours were from Rawalpindi, one from Jhelum and 607 from Islamabad.

Commissioner Saqib Zafar visited Dhoke Ellahi Bux and Raheemabad filter clinics and asked the staff to compile data of the typhoid and dengue patients.

He said six filter clinics had been set up in the city and cantonment areas to minimise the patient load on three hospitals.

He also visited Rawat to inspect a 350-bed hospital in the private sector which would be utilised to treat dengue patients.

Rawalpindi Medical University Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Mohammad Umer was also present.

The commissioner said the administration had arranged Social Security Hospital, Railway Hospital and Wateen Hospital where dengue patients would be shifted in case there was shortage of beds in Holy Family Hospital, Benazir Bhutto Hospital and District Headquarters Hospital.

The commissioner was also briefed at a meeting held to review the arrangements.

Officials said the district administration had expedited efforts of fogging in dengue-hit areas. They said 98 FIRs had been registered against owners of commercial buildings where dengue larvae had been found and 72 people arrested for their failure to adopt safety measures.

Besides, 187 sites, including tyre shops and junkyards, were sealed.

They said due to water shortage, people saved water in uncovered underground tanks as well as buckets and tubs which became breeding places for dengue mosquitoes.

About the reason for the higher number of dengue patients compared to the previous years, the officials said timely efforts were not made to conduct anti-dengue campaign.

They also said people should be sensitised about breeding places of dengue mosquitoes in under-construction buildings.

Meanwhile, an anti-dengue awareness walk was held on Murree Road to create awareness among the citizens about preventive measure against the dengue virus.

Adviser visits hospital Taxila

Adviser to Chief Minister on Dengue Dr Waseem Akram along with Deputy Commissioner Rawalpindi Saifullah Dogar visited Tehsil Headquarters (THQ) Hospital Taxila and reviewed the anti-dengue measures.

Five dengue positive patients are under treatment at the dengue ward of the hospital. The adviser directed the concerned authorities to conduct anti-dengue fogging in the affected areas.

Later, the adviser attended a briefing held by the local health department on anti-dengue measures in the area.

Speaking on the occasion, the adviser stressed the need for vigorous efforts to wipe out dengue from the district.

He said larvae breeding spots should properly be checked on a regular basis by surveillance teams of the health and other departments.

Community involvement stressed

In order to seek community involvement and active participation of all stakeholders, a dengue awareness walk was organised by Sir Syed Education Society in Hassanabdal on Tuesday.

The walk was attended by people from different sections of society, including officials from the health, education departments, representatives of civil society, educationists and a large number of students, including special children from Govt Special Education Centre.

Speaking on the occasion as chief guest, Assistant Commissioner Adnan Anjum Raja called upon the citizens to join hand with the administration and health authorities to eradicate the dengue virus.

“Sanitary staff clean garbage from roads and streets but people should also adopt anti-dengue measures at their respective houses.” He said people should ensure that the breeding places of mosquitoes inside their homes and vicinity were destroyed.

Mr Raja said dengue larvae was found in room coolers in a number of houses where dengue patients were found, so this is the responsibility of the citizens as the local administration cannot clean each and every room cooler of the area.

Professor Tahir Mehmood Durrani said due to lack of awareness about the disease and preventive measures, the number of dengue patients was increasing with each passing day and the casualty graph was also going up. He said the event was held to sensitise people about the precautionary measures to save themselves from the mosquito-borne disease.

District officer education elementary Raja Amjad Mehmood, deputy district officer education Fayyaz Mehmood and former president Hassanabdal bar association Hamid Iqbal also spoke.

Published in Dawn, October 2nd, 2019