Rawalpindi-The City District Government Rawalpindi (CDGR) and its brigade of health department officers have allegedly failed in curbing the spread of dengue virus in different areas as 26 dengue confirmed patients landed in two teaching hospitals in the last 7 days. Out of the 26 people, some 8 confirmed patients of dengue fever were brought to Benazir Bhutto Hospital on Friday, reliable sources revealed to The Nation. A patient is said to be in a critical condition and doctors are trying hard to save his life, sources said.  According to sources, over 22 patients suffering from dengue were brought to Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH) in a week while 4 were rushed to Holy Family Hospital (HFH) for medical treatment.

In BBH, sources said, 14 patients belonged to Rawalpindi while 5 were residents of Islamabad and 3 came from Chakwal and Talagang, they said adding that the other 4 patients admitted in HFH are also from Rawalpindi city.

The patients who are confirmed with dengue virus are being provided medical treatment in BBH.The brigade of officials of CDGR and the health department under the supervision of Deputy Commissioner (DC) Rawalpindi Dr Umer Jahangir, who is also holding additional charge of Commissioner, has yet to devise any effective strategy for controlling the outbreak of the lethal dengue fever, they said, adding that the health department did not take pre-emptive measures for protection of people from the deadly virus. “It was the duty of CDGR and officials of district health department to carry out anti-dengue spray to eliminate breeding places of the mosquito carrying dengue virus,” they said. An attendant of a patient in BBH said that dengue had become an epidemic and the number of patients was increasing with each passing day, but the CDGR and health department officials were least bothered to come into action. He said the health department teams did not conduct anti-mosquito spray in many areas of the city. Meanwhile, the three teaching hospitals of the city have received a total of 368 dengue confirmed patients across the division in the last five months, according to media reports.

 Of 366, 15 patients were brought to AHs from Chaklala Cannt; 14 from Gujar Khan, 2 from Kallar Syedan, 67 from Potohar Town, 1 from Railway Hospital, 56 from Rawal Town, 8 from Islamabad, 2 from Chakwal, 1 from Talagang and 176 patients were brought to AHs from various areas of Rawalpindi. Acting Commissioner Rawalpindi Division/DC Dr Umer Jahangir did not respond to a phone call and a message sent by this correspondent on his official cell number to know his point of view.