Number of dengue patients soars to 900 in Peshawar
PESHAWAR: As number of dengue patients rose to 900 in Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has decided on Sunday to take help from the medical teams from Punjab to overcome dengue. KP Minister for Health Shahram Khan Tarakai has informed Punjab Minister for Primary and Secondary Health, Khawaja Imran Nazir about it.
According to details, Shahram Tarkai made a telephonic contact with Khawaja Imran and told him the government’s decision. A meeting has also been summoned to discuss the issue, and will be chaired by KP secretary health.
Let it be known that the medical teams from Punjab were already treating the dengue patients in KP. The teams had installed their camps in Peshawar’s affected area Tehkal.
Four more health units from Punjab including eight ambulances, eight doctors and eight nurses are also scheduled to reach Peshawar today.
The camps were set under the supervision of Khawaja Imran Nazir. KP government had earlier taken the stance that it will curb the disease using its own resources, and will not give access to medical teams from Punjab to its hospitals.
Earlier, the number of people suspected to have dengue virus in the metropolis has reached over 900, with more cases recently reported from Khyber Teaching Hospital, sources said.
According to hospital sources, so far five people have succumbed to the dengue virus. However, citizens say the actual count was 10. But as per the district administration, one person has died due to dengue virus.
A team of medics and paramedics from Punjab has reached Peshawar to fight the dengue virus. However, sources said, since the teams do not have access to the hospitals they have set up a camp in Tehkal, an area with the highest number of dengue patients.
While talking to media on Sunday, the incharge of Punjab government’s mobile health unit, Dr Matloob-ul-Hassan, said two mobile health units were on their way to Peshawar. He added dengue virus has been detected in five people in the area since Saturday.
Punjab Minister for Primary and Secondary Health Khawaja Imran Nazeer, who was present in Tehkal on Sunday, said that they were in Peshawar with the national flag, not their party’s.
“This is not a political agenda,” he said. “We have come to help the people in crisis.”
He added they even phoned the health minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa but he did not show up. “If the [KP] health minister does not come we will give the [required] items to Amir Muqam,” Nazeer said. “The KP government is taking the dengue issue lightly.”
Eventually, the KP health minister agreed to use the mobile health units sent by the Punjab government, Nazeer said. “I will return after handing over the mobile health units to the KP government,” he added. “The KP government will look after the vehicles and paramedics.”
The two health ministers spoke over the phone later in the day. “KP Health Minister Shahram Tarakai and I spoke about the dengue situation,” Nazeer said. “I told him to meet us even if he wants to run things his way.”
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