Dengue fever outbreak enters the most intense phase

434 patients confirmed positive at allied hospitals in a week; 52% from Islamabad

Rawalpindi

The dengue fever outbreak in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi has entered the most intense phase after the setting in of the most favourable weather conditions for transmission of the infection and consistent increase in number of confirmed cases in last one week has shown that the concerned authorities both in the federal capital and the Punjab government have failed in putting any check on its spread.

Data collected by ‘The News’ has revealed that during the last one week, from October 1 to October 8, as many as 434 patients have been tested positive for dengue fever here at the three allied hospitals in town taking tally to 934.

In last three days, the allied hospitals tested as many as 205 patients positive for dengue fever at an average of over 68 confirmed patients reported per day that is certainly alarming.

Another alarming factor this year is that majority of the confirmed cases of dengue fever being reported at the allied hospitals in town including Holy Family Hospital, Benazir Bhutto Hospital and District Headquarters Hospital are from the federal capital.

A comparison made between the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi on incidence of dengue fever reveals that to date, the allied hospitals received 52 per cent of the total confirmed cases of dengue fever from Islamabad, 42 per cent from Rawalpindi district while six per cent from other districts of the Punjab province.

Early in the morning on Saturday, the total number of confirmed patients registered here with the allied hospitals in town has crossed the figure of 930, while the hospitals’ administrations has yet to receive result in over 30 probable cases.

Of 934 patients tested positive for dengue fever at the allied hospitals so far, as many as 480 are residents of the federal capital, 392 are residents of Rawalpindi, while 62 belong to other districts of the Punjab province and KPK.

According to details, the HFH has tested a total of 473 patients positive for dengue fever this year of which 243 patients belong to the federal capital and 177 are residents of Rawalpindi. At BBH, a total of 371 patients have been confirmed positive for the infection including 211 patients from Islamabad and 156 from Rawalpindi.

The DHQ Hospital received a total of 90 confirmed patients of dengue fever this year so far including 26 each from Islamabad and Rawalpindi while the rest belong to other districts of the Punjab province or KPK.

‘The News’ has learnt that a total of 263 patients were undergoing treatment at the three allied hospitals in town on Saturday of which 196 were tested positive including 110 confirmed cases from Islamabad and 78 from Rawalpindi while eight belong to other parts of the Punjab province or from KPK.

Of a total of 103 confirmed cases of dengue fever undergoing treatment at the HFH, as many as 63 are residents of Islamabad while 32 belong to Rawalpindi. As many as 74 confirmed patients of dengue fever were undergoing treatment on Sunday including 42 patients from Islamabad and 32 from Rawalpindi.

However, at DHQ Hospital in town, a total of 19 confirmed patients were undergoing treatment on Sunday of which only five are residents of Islamabad while 14 patients are from Rawalpindi.