get and get

Health experts have said the dengue virus is a global health problem and annually approximately 150 million people contract the virus all over the world.

They said that unchecked population growth, haphazard and poor planning in housing sector, lack of sanitation, health facilities and illiteracy and unawareness among people are the basic causes of rapid increase in dengue cases.

These views were expressed by the health experts while addressing an awareness seminar on dengue fever at Fatima Jinnah Medical College / Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, here Monday.

The doctors stressed upon the people to adopt precautionary measures against the disease and do not store water more than one day in water tanks, drums etc. and change it on daily basis so that mosquito growth could be stopped.

They advised the people to wrap their full body while going in parks in morning and evening and mosquito spray should be carried out in the bedrooms and other places to eliminate dengue mosquito.

While addressing the seminar, MS Sir Ganga Ram Hospital Dr. Ijaz Sheikh informed that so far 79 dengue patients have been admitted in the hospital out of which 55 have been discharged after recovery whereas 24 patients are still under treatment.

He said that according to the directions of the Punjab Chief Minister, all diagnostic as well as treatment facilities are being provided to the patients free of cost.

Dr. Zarfishan Tahir informed that at bacteriologist laboratory, IPH so far one thousand tests have been conducted out of which 68 per cent were confirmed positive.

She informed that IPH is providing diagnostic facilities free of cost to public. Dr. Farkhanda Epidemiologist pointed out that the areas of Dhrarampura, Kot Khawaja Saeed, Shadbagh, China Scheme, Engineering University, Walled City, Saman Abad and Gulshan-e-Ravi are the main clusters of dengue virus.