Daily Times

KARACHI: The Prevention & Control Programme for Dengue in Sindh administration lacks accurate data of dengue patients in Karachi as private hospitals are either not maintaining such records or are reluctant to share it with the program administration.

Talking to PPI news service, Sindh Prevention & Control Programme for Dengue programme manager Dr Masood Ahmed Solangi said that the peak season of dengue viral fever has already started in Karachi and it was likely to continue till December.

He said some private sector hospitals including Indus Hospital Karachi, Darul Sehat Hospital, Clifton Medical Center, Hill Park General Hospital, South City Hospital and some other hospitals are not coordinating with the program management.

He said there was very poor record-keeping of dengue patients in the private hospitals. He added that the private hospitals were also reluctant to share the data mainly to maintain the secrecy of their patients.

He said that the civic authorities concerned should direct the private hospitals to maintain a proper and complete record of the dengue patients in their healthcare facilities. He said that the availability of a proper data was vital for comprehensive planning to curb dengue.

Dr Solangi said that the dengue viral fever have already begun in Karachi but the Karachi Municipal Corporation (KMC) authorities concerned has failed to launch a fumigation drive in the city as yet due to shortage of funds. He said that dengue larva breeding rapidly increases after rains but no concrete step has been taken so far to check it.

He informed that several letters and reminders have already been sent to Administrator Karachi, KMC and other related department to ensure cleanliness of major drains and other water sites throughout the Karachi to avoid spread of dengue mosquitoes but no positive response has been received in this regard so far.

He said post-monsoon situation usually leads to formation of the pockets of dirty and clean water which are the main source of dengue breed and spread. He said that expected sites for pockets of dengue are nurseries, graveyards, lakes, ponds, swimming pools, tyre shops, water pumping stations/hydrants, construction cities and waste & dump areas.

He said that the actual number of dengue cases and related mortalities could be much higher as there was no system in place to record the actual data. He said mosquito-borne dengue virus has already claimed two lives in 2016 and 1,267 cases are reported from different hospitals of the Sindh province.

He demanded of the civic authorities concerned to launch anti-dengue fumigation drive across the city and issue necessary directives for sharing and maintaining record of dengue patients in both government and private healthcare facilities.