The business mafia has created unnecessary fear and harassment among the people regarding the availability of platelet kits used for treatment of dengue fever. Dean, Institute of Public Health, Muhammad Yaqoob Qazi stated this while addressing a public awareness seminar on dengue at the Institute of Public Health here on Monday.
He said that only 2 to 3 percent dengue patients need infusion of platelets and the patients having platelets less than 20,000 need hospitalisation. He proposed that health education subject should be included in the school level syllabus to create awareness regarding hygiene.
He said that majority of dengue fever patients do not need hospitalisation. Complete rest at home, with proper treatment cure the patient within 8 to 10 days while dengue patients should take liquids, lemon water in access quantity. Yaqoob Qazi said that rapid growth in population and haphazard development in housing sector created various health problems and without proper planning of sanitation, these issues are growing rapidly.
He said that due to over populated urban areas, more or less 10 people are living in a single room. He said that population planning is the need of the hour to overcome our growing problems. He said that every second person is suffering from blood pressure and out of six three persons are diabetic.
He said that instead of spending huge budget on the expansion of treatment facilities we will have to focus on prevention side otherwise all budget would be spent on establishing more factories of insulin and blood pressure tablets in coming days. Professor Qazi said that dengue fever is the public health problem which would only by overcome by the joint efforts of all stakeholders and with the active participating of community.
Chief Bacteriologist Punjab Dr Zarfishan Tahir said that as per direction of the Chief Minister Punjab, free diagnostic facility is being provided to dengue patients in IPH labs. Director General Health Punjab Dr Muhammad Aslam said that due to the early change in weather and other causes the dengue virus surfaced early this year and according to the data the posh areas of the city are more affected.
He said that such houses where the use of air-conditioners, desert coolers is very common and big houses with lawns, fountains and flowers ports are the heaven for dengue mosquito growth as this mosquito flourishes in low temperature and stagnant clean water. EDO Health Lahore Dr Umar Farooq Baloch apprised the participants about the efforts of City District Government to eradicate the mosquito.