Number of Dengue Fever patients rises to 1800 in Pakistan
By Sarah Kamal 'Pakistan Times' Special Correspondent

ISLAMABAD: The number of Dengue Fever patients rose Saturday to almost 1800 in the Pakistan.

In the last 24 hours, 19 new patients admitted to the hospitals with signs and symptoms of dengue fever from Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

According to the statistics of National Institute of Health, blood samples of 89 suspected Dengue Fever patients have been received, out of which 39 cases have been diagnosed positive.

In Islamabad, 21 out of 61 suspected Dengue Fever cases found positive. Thus, the number of Dengue Fever patients in the twin cities is 60.

The blood samples of patients from Karachi, Khushab, Chakwal, Wah Cantt, Abottabad and interior Sindh have been brought to National Institute of Health.

Moreover, blood samples are being received from Lahore, Peshawar and adjacent areas.

Two Die in Punjab

A report from Lahore says that the management of Sheikh Zaid hospital has been tight-lipped on deaths of two dengue fever patients in the hospital whereas four more patients infected by dengue virus have been detected.

Two patients of dengue fever, Moinuddin of Syed Mitha Bazar area and Abdul Qadeer were died in the hospital, while four more patients being kept in a special ward of the hospital.

Meanwhile, a meeting of Sheikh Zaid hospital management was held with administrator Dr. Saboor Malik in chair, to review the special arrangements made for the dengue patients in the hospital.

Tests in SW Pakistan

To prevent against dengue fever, NWFP government directed Saturday to set up isolation wards in all district headquarter hospitals and make arrangements conduct the tests of disease.

In a meeting presided over by NWFP Additional Chief Secretary Ghulam Dastagir, it was told that like other parts of the country, dengue fever can possibly run rampant in the province.

Thus far, only two persons are diagnosed positive for dengue fever and both ran the disease while they were in Sindh. One child from among them has died.

Additional Chief Secretary directed the issuance of one million rupee to each district headquarter hospital. He directed to conduct the anti-mosquito spray over ponds and streams.

The meeting decided to wage a mass awareness campaign to prevent against dengue fever.

Takes Life of Child

According to another report, following Karachi, Sindh interior, Islamabad and Rawalpindi, dengue fever seemed to have entered the NWFP province also, as the World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed the death of a child, 7 with all the symptoms of suffering from the dengue fever.

According to media reports, WHO Medical Officer, Dr. Mohammad Saeed Akbar Khan in operation in NWFP and Fata told that the National Institute of Health, Islamabad had diagnosed Mohammad Jamil, 7 resident of the village Meera of Kabal Tehsil in Swat suffered from Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DHF).

Jamil, who died on Thursday, was admitted into the Khayber Teaching Hospital on October 15 after struck by high fever, he said.

Dr. Mohammad Saeed told that one DHF patient was brought to Khayber Tehsil Hospital, while the other one Mukhtiyar Ahmad to the District Headquarter Hospital, Swabi.

He told that Mukhtiyar was brought from the Landhi area of Karachi, where his brothers also suffering from DHF were under treatment. He told that the blood samples of the patients have been sent to Islamabad for test.

On the other hand, the ministry of health told that 1576 cases of dengue fever were detected thus far since October 2 in Sindh, while in Islamabad 21 and Rawalpindi 39 persons were diagnosed dengue positive.

The ministry said that the dengue in Sindh has taken the toll of 27 lives and 78 dengue patients have been admitted into the different hospitals in Karachi during the last 24 hours, while in the same period 92 patients were discharged from the hospitals in Karachi and Sindh after the recovery from dengue fever.●