Rise in dengue cases: Emergency declared in Peshawar

PESHAWAR: The Health Department on Thursday declared an emergency for one month in the provincial capital amid an unprecedented rise in dengue cases.

Secretary Health Muhammad Tahir Orakzai said in a notification: “[For] Response and effective case management of dengue fever cases in district Peshawar, I, Muhammad Tahir Orakzai, Secretary to Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Health Department, in exercise of powers conferred under Section 3 of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Epidemic Control and Emergency Relief Act 2020 (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Act No. XXVII of 2020), on the advice of the Director-General, Health Services, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and two eminent epidemiologists and with the approval of the chief minister, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa do hereby order a declaration of Health Emergency to the extent of Peshawar District for a period of one month, with effect from 25th October, 2021 till 24th November.” The Peshawarites have been suffering from dengue fever for the past two months and the government has ignored them.

The three hospitals, Lady Reading Hospital, Khyber Teaching Hospital and Hayatabad Medical Complex, are facing tremendous pressure as almost all of the patients taken there these days are surging from dengue fever. The hospitals are filled to the capacity and are no longer able to accommodate more patients.