Dengue Death Toll Revised to 27 by Sindh Government Experts
KARACHI: While the Sindh health department has revised
dengue fever mortality data and announced that there have been 27 deaths from
the mosquito-borne disease this year, independent health experts have raised
doubts about the authenticity of the government figures, saying the actual
number of dengue-related deaths, as well as positive cases in the metropolis,
are too high.
They blamed the provincial government for the worsening health crisis created by an easily preventable disease transmitted by mosquitoes.
The government, they regretted, had remained unmoved and had
taken no effective action to eliminate mosquito breeding grounds, despite
dengue fever has claimed more than two dozen lives in the city in recent months
and the number of cases continued to increase.
On Tuesday, the health department confirmed a total of 248
dengue fever cases, of which 109 cases were from the Eastern district followed
by 65 from the center, 20 from Korangi, 21 from the south, 13 from Malir, 12
from Keamari, and eight cases are reported of the western district.
The health department confirms 27 deaths; data does not
include six deaths reported by three other hospitals
However, the seriousness of the situation on the ground can
be gauged by the fact that just one lab in the city - the central laboratory at
Dow University of Health Sciences - received and analyzed approximately 1,000
suspect samples daily and 50 percent of these samples test positive for dengue
virus.
Doubtful Data
According to official figures, 27 patients - 12 men and 15
women - have died from dengue fever this year, which has so far registered
5,492 cases since January.
Those deaths, according to the data, occurred at three
private hospitals in the city; 12 deaths were reported from Ziauddin Hospital
(Nazimabad North Campus), 10 from Aga Khan University Hospital, and five from
Saifee Hospital (also located North of Nazimabad).
The figures show that two of the 27 deaths were from the
southern district, 13 from the center, nine from the east, and one from Malir,
west, and Korangi districts.
According to the data, out of the total 5,492 cases reported
this year, 2,134 were reported in Eastern District, 1,208 in Central, 596 in
Korangi, 925 in South, 145 in West, 287 in Malir, and 197 in Keamari.
Sources said official data did not include at least six
other deaths; three of them were reported between May and September 9 at
Liaquat National Hospital (LNH), two were reported between August 1 and
September 8 at Indus Hospital, and one death at the South City Hospital this
month.
"The situation with dengue illness is becoming worse
every day. In my clinics, 60% of the patients I meet every day have been given
a dengue diagnosis." Dr. Abdul Ghafoor Shoro, a senior GP who runs clinics
in Korangi, Keamari, and Gulberg, told Dawn.
The government blamed for the crisis
He blamed the health issue on the administration. “No
concrete action has been taken by the government so far to eradicate the
mosquitoes that are blooming in every nook and cranny of the city. Fortunately,
the public is aware of the disease; otherwise, the situation could have been
much worse.
Dr. Qaiser Sajjad, representing the Pakistan Medical
Association (PMA), called the health department's data "absolutely
unrealistic".
According to the feedback we are receiving from GPs these
days, a clinic sees at least 15-20 people every day. This shows that there are
too many instances that have not been recorded. He said, wondering how the
government could formulate an epidemic control strategy when it did not have
real data to start with.
Dr. Saeed Khan, professor of molecular pathology at the head
of the Sindh Public Health Lab, said the current pattern of the disease
indicated dengue fever cases would rise further until mid-October.
“It's not like Covid-19 and the disease can easily be
prevented by avoiding mosquito bites. The number of dengue cases is directly
proportional to the growth of mosquitoes, which means that more people will get
sick as the number of mosquitoes increases. Unfortunately, in our case, the
focus is not on prevention,” he said.
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