Dengue fever kills 2 more in Multan

LAHORE: Owing to the mismanagement, mishandling and sub-standard measures to counter rapid increase of deadly Dengue fever, two more children have died of this menace in Multan on Thursday, Geo News reported.

Meanwhile, the number of dengue fever patients has increased to 2,368 including 173 new diagnosed one in the provincial metropolis and the public sector hospitals have been overcrowded with dengue patients.

After downslide in temperature due to setting in of winter weather, the number of mosquitoes is on the rise but the provincial government seems completely helpless to counter this fatal disease.

Government has not yet been able to spray anti-mosquito sprays in most affected areas, sources in the health ministry told Geo News.

The patients and their families have criticised the management of the hospitals for not giving them proper treatment and not correctly handling the outbreak of the disease.

They added that diagnostic tests were very costly and hospitals were fast running out of white blood cell producing platelets kits. The doctors, dealing with the dengue fever patients told them either to wait for the kits or purchase them from the market on their own, the patients added.

A patient told that taking advantage of the situation and owing to a lack of check and balance, the suppliers of these kits and medical stores had increased the prices many fold. “A kit which normally cost Rs 9,000 was now being sold in the black market at an exuberant price of around Rs 30,000.”