In the last 24 hours, Rawalpindi has witnessed an alarming surge in dengue cases, with seven new infections confirmed. This brings the total number of confirmed cases in the district to 131, according to District Coordinator Epidemics Prevention and Control (DCEPC), Dr. Sajjad Mehmood. Among the newly reported cases, two patients each had recently arrived from Chaklala Cantonment, Potohar town urban area, and Rawalpindi Cantonment, while one case was reported from the Municipal Corporation area. Dr. Sajjad stated that out of the total cases, 36 patients were currently admitted to the city's allied hospitals, with 22 of them being confirmed dengue cases. Encouragingly, 113 individuals have been discharged after receiving treatment. The district administration has taken stringent measures to combat the spread of dengue, including the registration of 71 FIRs, issuance of tickets to 17 offenders, sealing of 16 premises, and imposing fines amounting to Rs 163,000 for violations of dengue standard operating procedures (SOPs) within the last 24 hours.

 Dr. Sajjad expressed concern over the favorable breeding conditions for dengue larvae due to the current weather conditions, aggravated by recent rainfall. He emphasized that despite the concerted efforts of the district and provincial health authorities, success in controlling the dengue outbreak would be impossible without active participation from the public. Dr. Sajjad also pointed out that the accumulation of rainwater in garbage was a major contributor to the breeding of dengue-carrying mosquitoes, underlining the need for collective action to eliminate such breeding grounds.

 
Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)