MINGORA, Aug 25: Keeping in view the increasing number of dengue patients in Swat, the authorities have decided to launch a fumigation drive in the district from Monday (today).
Provincial Health Secretary Dr Fakhar Alam, who visited the district on Sunday, directed the deputy commissioner and district health officer to take preventive measures against dengue.
He said that health department would provide three more vehicles mounted with fumigation machines to the district administration to start the drive from Monday.
The health secretary also visited Saidu Sharif hospital and enquired after the health of dengue patients.
The patients informed him about the shortage of beds, non-availability of electricity and cleanliness situation at the hospital.
The secretary directed the hospital administration to resolve all the problems faced by the patients.
He said that provincial government would provide necessary assistance to the hospital administration.
Meanwhile, the number of dengue patients in the district reached to 250 as several more were tested positive for the mosquito-borne disease here on Sunday.
The dengue patients also included 45 women, Dr Taj Mohammad Khan, the chief executive of Saidu Group of Teaching Hospitals, told Dawn.
He said that at least 80 patients were discharged from the hospital after completion of their treatment.
The residents of different areas of the district were visiting Saidu Sharif hospital in a large number to test themselves for dengue since the outbreak of the disease in Swat, said hospital sources.
“We received hundreds of fever patients yesterday an out of them 50 more tested positive for dengue,” said Ijaz, an official at the hospital. He said that keeping in view increase in the number of dengue positive cases, the hospital administration had specified Medical-A Ward for dengue patients while Medical-B Ward had already been declared as dengue emergency unit.
Mr Ijaz said that they had enough medicines and kits for screening test of dengue patients.
The patients, who were kept in open and at the corridor of Medical-B Ward, were shifted on Sunday to Medical-A Ward, said an official. He added that they had resolved the problem of shortage of beds at the hospital.
Meanwhile, Peshawar Commissioner Sahibzada Anees has ordered the teaching hospitals to designate beds for suspected patients and make sure that all drugs required by dengue affected patients be provided free of cost.
He asked doctors to remain vigilant to diagnose the suspected patients and provide them with prompt treatment.
Officials at the directorate of health told Dawn that they had issued instructions to all the health facilities to pay attention to the suspected patients of dengue.
“We have trained staff in all teaching hospitals that can collect sample from the patients to diagnose them,” they said.
The officials said that patients were curable but required isolation.
“We have also issued guidelines to the hospitals about the protocol of dealing with dengue patients,” they added.
