As dengue cases surge countrywide, hospitals in Pakistan run short of beds

ISLAMABAD, (ANI): Amid the COVID-19 health crisis, dengue has emerged as another major concern for Pakistan, with hospitals in Punjab province, especially in Lahore, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh snowed under with the patients of mosquito-borne viral infection to a point where the hospital administrations refusing to take in more patients, local media reported on Sunday.

In the Punjab hospitals, beds meant for the corona patients have been allocated to the dengue victims, reported The News International.

Meanwhile, in Islamabad, a massive anti-dengue campaign has been launched in response to the alarmingly high levels of dengue cases. In the last 24 hours, 98 new cases of dengue were reported in Islamabad, according to the district health officer, of which 73 were found in rural areas and 25 in urban areas, reported The News International. The new cases brought the total number of patients to 1,030.

In rural areas, 698 people have been infected with the dengue virus, whereas in urban areas, 332 cases have been recorded, the Pakistani publication reported. Meanwhile, the Punjab government declared a medical emergency at the public health facilities in Lahore due to the rising number of dengue cases.

Citing the latest figures, The News International reported that 299 dengue cases have been reported in the province in the last 24 hours, said the publication, adding that statistics reveal that dengue cases in Punjab have reached 3,475 since January 2021, with Lahore accounting for 2,708. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa health department has reported 304 new cases in the last 24 hours taking the number of patients to 2,456 out of which 247 are being treated in hospitals.

During the last 24 hours, 93 people were diagnosed with dengue in Peshawar taking the total tally in the provincial capital to 666. Meanwhile, 27 new cases were reported in Mardan, eight in Swabi, 134 in Haripur. (ANI)