The Sindh Health Department has released its latest dengue surveillance report stating that a total of 5,295 tests were conducted across the province during the past 24 hours, out of which 1,213 were confirmed positive. According to the report, 3,721 tests were performed in Karachi Division, yielding 591 positive cases, while 1,574 tests were carried out in Hyderabad Division, of which 622 tested positive for the virus. Secretary Health Sindh, Rehan Baloch, said that 115 new dengue patients were admitted to public hospitals and 128 to private hospitals during the same 24-hour period.
Meanwhile, 105 patients were discharged from public facilities after recovery and 80 from private hospitals. Four dengue-related deaths were reported across the province in the past 24 hours. Currently, 217 dengue patients are admitted to government hospitals and 239 remain under treatment in private hospitals. The report further notes that 256 beds have been reserved for dengue patients in Karachi’s public hospitals, 159 in Hyderabad and 562 in other districts, bringing the total number of dedicated beds in public-sector facilities to 977 across the province.
Meanwhile, private hospitals have allocated 183 beds in Karachi, 190 in Hyderabad and 86 in other districts – a provincial total of 459 beds for dengue treatment in the private sector. Secretary Baloch added that data is currently being collected from 54 laboratories across Sindh. In Karachi, 37 laboratories – including 13 public and 24 private – are conducting dengue testing, whereas 17 laboratories in Hyderabad, including six public and 11 private facilities, are actively reporting dengue diagnostics to the Health Department.
Separately, Secretary Health Sindh Rehan Baloch has said that the Sindh government is actively implementing a comprehensive dengue control campaign and the public must exercise simple precautionary measures to stay safe.
He said that the Health Department receives daily reports from 164 hospitals and 53 laboratories across Sindh, including 36 in Karachi and 17 in Hyderabad, to closely monitor the situation.
Rehan Baloch stated that all relevant institutions were issued advisories well in advance at the start of the year, recognizing that the dengue season traditionally peaks in September, October and November. The Vector Borne Disease Wing at the Directorate General Health Services Hyderabad has been leading prevention and control activities across the province.
He said that on March 7, detailed directives were issued to all District Health Officers, teaching hospitals and medical institutions. Ahead of and following the monsoon rains, 62 entomological surveys were conducted in 30 districts, which identified 191 localities with high mosquito breeding. Immediate larval control and spray operations were carried out in these hotspots.
Sharing clinical data, the Secretary said that between October 1 and November 2, a total of 482 dengue patients were admitted to hospitals – 314 until October 28 and 168 from October 29 to November 2. Sadly, a total of 13 dengue-related deaths were reported across Sindh during the month of October, including four in Hyderabad, one in Tando Muhammad Khan, one in Karachi’s Korangi district, three in Malir, two in East and two in West districts, while three more fatalities have so far been recorded in November – two in Hyderabad and one in Tando Allahyar. “Several of these patients had serious underlying medical conditions, which contributed to the worsening of their condition,” he clarified.
In compliance with the directions of the Chief Secretary Sindh Asif Hyder Shah, extensive dengue prevention and control measures are being carried out across the province. Commissioners of Karachi and Hyderabad Divisions have submitted detailed progress reports to the Chief Secretary regarding ongoing fumigation, awareness, and larval elimination campaigns.