Dengue virus menace claims eight more lives

Despite massive awareness campaign launched by the provincial government and City District Government, there is no halt to the spread of dengue outbreak. People hailing from all walks of life including doctors, media men, civil servants, police officials, housewives are becoming the victims of the disease, posing burden on the health facilities apart from scaring the public.
Punjab government on Tuesday announced to close down all the educational institutions for 10 days to prevent students from dengue outbreak. As per the official claims, around 4,100 cases of dengue have so far been reported in Punjab while 3,576 cases have been reported in Lahore. Out of these, the majority of patients have recovered and presently around 450 dengue patients are under treatment in different hospitals of the province. Only eight deaths have been confirmed in the province on account of dengue.
Official sources told Business Recorder that all resources are being utilised for the eradication of dengue virus and additional staff and machines have been provided for provision of best treatment facilities to the patients in government hospitals. Apart from government hospitals, process of provision of free of cost treatment facilities to the patients in private hospitals has also been started.
A special team from Sri Lanka is also reaching Pakistan within a couple of days, which will provide technical assistance to the Punjab government in the elimination of dengue virus. Punjab Health Department has also set up a blood testing centre in every town of Lahore with the co-operation Chughtai Lab so that the facility of blood test could be made available to dengue patients in their own area.
It may be noted that inquiry committee formed by Chief Minister Punjab, Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif has declared that the medicines being used in spray against dengue mosquito were in accordance with World Health Organisation standard. A spokesman of Auqaf Department announced that the administration of Data Darbar Hospital of Auqaf Department (Bilal Ganj Lahore) will provide free of cost medical treatment facilities to the dengue patients and 24 hours coverage of medical facilities for dengue fever patients would be available at the hospital. In order to serve the ailing humanity, a 20 bedded dengue ward fully equipped with all kind of instruments, medicines, mosquito-nets with three times food to dengue patients have been arranged, he added.
Dr Faisal Sultan, Chief Executive Officer of Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital (SKMCH&RC) accompanied by Dr Hammad Nazeer and Dr Ashraf Ali Khan said in a briefing that dengue is not such a fatal disease as being described and we need to make a collective effort for prevention against Dengue.
Dr Faisal said that dengue is a self-limited illness caused by a virus called 'dengue virus' which is transmitted by a bite of a female mosquito called 'aedes egyptii'. He said that more than 1.5 billion people all over the world are at risk of this virus. As per the statistics, last year, the spread of this virus in Pakistan was on the rise during October 10 till November 10, but this year the trend is witnessed earlier. Apart from other reasons to this increase, one major reason has been an increase in the intensity of rains in the current year. He, however, stressed that dengue is not such a deadly disease as is being perceived or described in the community. The mortality of this disease is less than one percent.
Dr Hammad Nazeer clarified that as per the latest scientific research there is no connection of intake of papaya juice or papaya leaves with cure of the disease or increase in platelets count. To curtail this outbreak the involvement of the community is as important as the efforts being done by the government. He said that there are two aspects of prevention from this disease. First is to focus on the habitat of the mosquitoes that is to eliminate breeding sites to limit the growth of mosquitoes. Second is to prevent mosquito bites with the use of mosquito repellents and use of sprays inside the homes in particular.
Moreover, it is stressed to wear clothes that can cover our body parts well. Apart from this one should take effective measures for not allowing stagnant water to be witnessed inside our homes, during the monsoon season in particular.
Dr Ashraf Ali Khan in response to a question said that intensity of Dengue fever starts decreasing in 3-4 days and the patient starts recovering. The mortality during the dengue fever can be a result of some other complications prevailing in the patient. He said that research is in progress on the development of dengue virus vaccine and it may be available till year 2014.