Dengue spreading fast as 1500 cases reported in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: More than 1500 cases of dengue haemorrhagic fever have been reported so far in Islamabad which signalled the overspread of the mosquito-borne virus in the federal capital, ARY News reported on Saturday.

According to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) sources, more than 1200 cases of dengue fever were reported in August, whereas, above 300 patients were confirmed with the virus in the first week of September.

Sources told ARY News that 20 patients are admitted at PIMS Hospital’s isolation ward and the health condition of five among them is declared critical.

Moreover, 10 new patients of dengue were brought to Poly Clinic in the federal capital, where at least 41 cases of the disease reported so far.

Earlier on Friday, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza had announced that free medical treatment and diagnostic facilities will be provided to dengue patients at all the public hospitals in the federal capital.

In a statement, Zafar Mirza said that his ministry was making all-out efforts to prevent and contain dengue virus in the federal capital.

He said, “All hospitals were fully geared to manage dengue cases.” The special assistant added that the dengue patients brought from a village contiguous with Rawalpindi have been treated in Holy Family and Benazir Bhutto hospitals.

There has so far been no fatality from Dengue in Islamabad, he said and added that the dengue control cell was working round the clock.