RAWALPINDI:District Coordinator Epidemics Prevention and Control (DCEPC), Dr Sajjad Mehmood on Tuesday asked the residents to adopt precautionary measures as September was crucial for dengue spread.
He said that the number of dengue patients had increased gradually in Rawalpindi during the week, adding five to six patients were reported daily last week which had increased to 15 to 18 patients daily this week. If the situation persists it can increase to 70 patients daily in September.
The health officer informed that for the last two to three years, the number of dengue patients had started increasing from the end of August, which continuously increased till October 10.
He said that during the first six months of the year, the number of dengue patients was in the hundreds and predicted that if protective measures were not adopted it would increase to thousands in the next six months.
Dr Sajjad added that this year the number of dengue patients was less than 200 and there was a risk that the number could reach 4,000 in the coming months.
He said that the district health authority has created an integrated system for dengue control and dengue larvae were being destroyed by sweeping operations in the area and houses from where dengue patients were being reported.
He said that presently most patients were being reported from the Chamanzar, Dhok Munshi and Lalazar areas of the Cantonment.
Meanwhile, giving details of the patients reported during the last 24 hours in the district, he said that Rawalpindi’s tally had reached 176 cases with the arrival of 18 new patients.
Among the new cases, Dr Sajjad added that six cases had arrived from Potohar town urban, five from Chaklala Cantonment, one from Municipal Corporation Rawalpindi area while six patients were reported from outside the districts.
Presently, he said 46 patients were admitted to Rawalpindi public hospitals, out of which 31 were confirmed cases while 130 were discharged after treatment.
Dr Sajjad informed that the district administration had registered 55 FIRs, issued tickets to 11, sealed two premises, and a fine of Rs 17,000 was imposed against the violations of dengue SOPs during the last 24 hours.