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Source: http://www.thenews.com.pk/print1.asp?id=120461
Suspected cases of cholera increasing
By Muhammad Qasim
6/25/2008
Rawalpindi
The Rawalpindi General Hospital (RGH) received another five suspected patients of cholera Tuesday taking the total number of cases of the infectious disease so far registered at RGH to 40.
The RGH has received confirmatory reports of 23 suspects of the disease from the National Institute of Health, Islamabad, within past 24 hours. Of the 23 cases, 10 have been tested positive while 13 negative.
After confirmation of 10 more cases of cholera positive, the total number of confirmed cases of cholera registered at the RGH reached to 14 that is strengthening doubts of health experts regarding outbreak of cholera epidemic.
The RGH has sent stool samples of five cases, suspected of cholera Tuesday, to NIH, Islamabad for confirmatory reports. The five suspects include Manahil, aged 7 years, Sajid, aged 4, Javeria, aged 5, Awais, aged 3 and Khalid, aged 4. All the five cases suspected of the infectious disease Tuesday belong to Rawalpindi.
?Of the total 40 cases suspected as of cholera at the RGH, the NIH has tested 14 positive while 17 negative,? said acting medical superintendent at RGH Dr Fiaz Ahmed Khan while talking to ?The News? Tuesday adding, however, the RGH has yet to receive confirmation reports from NIH in nine cases.
According to hospital administration, most of the suspected cases of cholera were reported at the Accident and Emergency Department of the hospital. All cases of cholera including suspected and confirmed ones so far reached RGH are below the age of 13 years. At present eight patients including suspected and confirmed ones of cholera are undergoing treatment at the RGH.
Meanwhile, the number of patients with gastroenteritis reaching the three allied hospitals is increasing consistently. The RGH has so far received a total 527 cases of gastroenteritis within less than past three weeks. According to data available at the hospital, of these 527 cases, 313 are males while 214 females.
The District Headquarters Hospital has received not a single patient of cholera so far. According to DHQ Hospital administration, the DHQ Hospital is having the least burden of patients with gastroenteritis too. ?On average, we receive less than five patients with gastroenteritis daily,? said the DHQ hospital chief Dr Khalid Iqbal Malik while talking to ?The News? Tuesday.
The Holy Family Hospital, however, has been dealing with a huge influx of patients with gastroenteritis for almost a month. President, Pakistan Society of Gastroenterology Professor Dr Muhammad Umar who is also consultant Gastroenterologist & Hepatologist at the HFH while talking to ?The News? said that at an average, the HFH receives more than 50 patients with gastroenteritis daily excluding children and the number is continuously on the rise. ?Within past one month, we have given treatment to more than 700 patients with gastroenteritis, however, we have received no patient of cholera so far,? he said while responding to a query.
Director Emergency at the HFH Dr Raja Shafiq Sarwar, when contacted, said the number of gastroenteritis reaching the HFH is increasing sharply. ?One half of the staff serving at the ER department is busy managing cases of gastroenteritis,? he said adding the steps being taken by the district health office could not control the disease apparently.
?The DHO is running campaigns on prevention and control of gastroenteritis but people generally do not follow preventive measures that is resulting in huge influx of gastroenteritis cases at the allied hospitals,? he responded to a query.
He said the need of the time is to make public aware of different aspects of the disease and take necessary preventive measures instead of emphasising curative means. ?If preventive measures are not taken in time, the situation might become unmanageable,? he said.
Suspected cases of cholera increasing
By Muhammad Qasim
6/25/2008
Rawalpindi
The Rawalpindi General Hospital (RGH) received another five suspected patients of cholera Tuesday taking the total number of cases of the infectious disease so far registered at RGH to 40.
The RGH has received confirmatory reports of 23 suspects of the disease from the National Institute of Health, Islamabad, within past 24 hours. Of the 23 cases, 10 have been tested positive while 13 negative.
After confirmation of 10 more cases of cholera positive, the total number of confirmed cases of cholera registered at the RGH reached to 14 that is strengthening doubts of health experts regarding outbreak of cholera epidemic.
The RGH has sent stool samples of five cases, suspected of cholera Tuesday, to NIH, Islamabad for confirmatory reports. The five suspects include Manahil, aged 7 years, Sajid, aged 4, Javeria, aged 5, Awais, aged 3 and Khalid, aged 4. All the five cases suspected of the infectious disease Tuesday belong to Rawalpindi.
?Of the total 40 cases suspected as of cholera at the RGH, the NIH has tested 14 positive while 17 negative,? said acting medical superintendent at RGH Dr Fiaz Ahmed Khan while talking to ?The News? Tuesday adding, however, the RGH has yet to receive confirmation reports from NIH in nine cases.
According to hospital administration, most of the suspected cases of cholera were reported at the Accident and Emergency Department of the hospital. All cases of cholera including suspected and confirmed ones so far reached RGH are below the age of 13 years. At present eight patients including suspected and confirmed ones of cholera are undergoing treatment at the RGH.
Meanwhile, the number of patients with gastroenteritis reaching the three allied hospitals is increasing consistently. The RGH has so far received a total 527 cases of gastroenteritis within less than past three weeks. According to data available at the hospital, of these 527 cases, 313 are males while 214 females.
The District Headquarters Hospital has received not a single patient of cholera so far. According to DHQ Hospital administration, the DHQ Hospital is having the least burden of patients with gastroenteritis too. ?On average, we receive less than five patients with gastroenteritis daily,? said the DHQ hospital chief Dr Khalid Iqbal Malik while talking to ?The News? Tuesday.
The Holy Family Hospital, however, has been dealing with a huge influx of patients with gastroenteritis for almost a month. President, Pakistan Society of Gastroenterology Professor Dr Muhammad Umar who is also consultant Gastroenterologist & Hepatologist at the HFH while talking to ?The News? said that at an average, the HFH receives more than 50 patients with gastroenteritis daily excluding children and the number is continuously on the rise. ?Within past one month, we have given treatment to more than 700 patients with gastroenteritis, however, we have received no patient of cholera so far,? he said while responding to a query.
Director Emergency at the HFH Dr Raja Shafiq Sarwar, when contacted, said the number of gastroenteritis reaching the HFH is increasing sharply. ?One half of the staff serving at the ER department is busy managing cases of gastroenteritis,? he said adding the steps being taken by the district health office could not control the disease apparently.
?The DHO is running campaigns on prevention and control of gastroenteritis but people generally do not follow preventive measures that is resulting in huge influx of gastroenteritis cases at the allied hospitals,? he responded to a query.
He said the need of the time is to make public aware of different aspects of the disease and take necessary preventive measures instead of emphasising curative means. ?If preventive measures are not taken in time, the situation might become unmanageable,? he said.
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