The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Public Health Reference Laboratory has started receiving samples from suspected patients of dengue haemorrhagic fever as the vector-borne disease continues to affect people, mostly in the provincial capital.
Officials said that PHRL, set up at Khyber Medical University, tested one positive case using Eliza method of the total 32 patients confirmed on NS1 method through rapid kits.
They said that the laboratory would initially conduct tests of suspected dengue fever cases in view of the ongoing outbreak in the province. It would be developed into a full-fledged reference laboratory to take care of 20 notifiable diseases in near future.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is the first province to have PHRL in the fulfillment of the WHO’s International Health Regulations, which make it mandatory for the member countries to establish such facilities at regional level.
Vector-borne disease continues to affect people in different parts of KP
A memorandum of understanding was signed among health department, KMU and National Institute of Health (NIH) Islamabad on January 27 to set up the laboratory and ensure characterisation, detection and tracing of disease information in credible and timely manners. On February 6, the health secretary notified the premises of KMU as PHRL.
Prior to notification, the teams of WHO and NIH visited four public health facilities to identify a suitable place for the laboratory. KMU was selected for the purpose due to its faculty, staff and infrastructure.
Officials in health department said that WHO, Centre for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention and Public Health UK were supporting establishment of the PHRL.
Dr Asif Ali, additional director of PHRL, told Dawn that dengue section of the facility initiated work to cope with the dengue outbreak. He said that it had been planned to make the laboratory functional within two months but they requested WHO to help them in establishing its dengue section in view of the current outbreak.
He said that one-day training by WHO was conducted for their staff. He said that they had already advanced Eliza machine and NIH was providing more equipment to laboratory.
“We would complete the facility in five phases including upgradation of the existing infrastructure, training of staff, equipment and reagents by NIH. Moreover, we will be starting genetic sequencing about diseases in future,” said Dr Asif.
He said that the laboratory would be valuable to ascertain trend of diseases and enable the authorities concerned to respond promptly to the situation.
Meantime, Health Minister Shahram Tarakai told a press conference that a total of 1,289 suspected patients, including 982 from Peshawar, were tested. He said that 191 of them were tested positive.
“During the past 24 hours, 129 patients have been hospitalised and 51 of them are still being treated. The rest of the patients have been sent home after treatment,” he said.
The minister said that a helpline (1700) was established to give information to the people round the clock. “Since the outbreak of the epidemic, we have tested 9,559 suspected patients and 1,598 of them have been tested positive. So far, 663 patents have been hospitalised,” he added.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Pervez Khattak has instructed the authorities to take measures for controlling spread of dengue through constant surveillance and monitoring.
Presiding over a meeting, he directed the officials concerned to ensure proper implementation of the multi-pronged strategy for controlling and eliminating dengue virus.
However, more suspected dengue fever cases were reported in Lower Dir, Swabi and Mardan districts on Thursday.
According to Dr Qazi Ikram, the focal person on dengue at district headquarters hospital in Timergara, three patients belonging to Khall, Chapar and Kambat were tested positive for dengue fever.
He told journalists that patients were discharged from the hospital after completion of their treatment.
Sources said that Tariq Ali, one of the patients, was studying in Peshawar. He fell ill on his return from Peshawar. He was also treated at Timergara hospital.
Five more dengue patients were detected in Mardan and Swabi districts. They were tested positive at Mardan Medical Complex (MMC) on Thursday.
Dr Javed Iqbal, personal relation officer of MMC, said that the number of dengue patients at the hospital reached 10 after admissions of five more persons.
He said that the five new dengue patients were identified as Umar Farooq of Kuragh area, Abdul Qayum of Toru Qasmi locality, Zahir of Dosehra Chowk, Zahoor of Gulibagh and Zaibi, a resident of Swabi district.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1353836
Officials said that PHRL, set up at Khyber Medical University, tested one positive case using Eliza method of the total 32 patients confirmed on NS1 method through rapid kits.
They said that the laboratory would initially conduct tests of suspected dengue fever cases in view of the ongoing outbreak in the province. It would be developed into a full-fledged reference laboratory to take care of 20 notifiable diseases in near future.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is the first province to have PHRL in the fulfillment of the WHO’s International Health Regulations, which make it mandatory for the member countries to establish such facilities at regional level.
Vector-borne disease continues to affect people in different parts of KP
A memorandum of understanding was signed among health department, KMU and National Institute of Health (NIH) Islamabad on January 27 to set up the laboratory and ensure characterisation, detection and tracing of disease information in credible and timely manners. On February 6, the health secretary notified the premises of KMU as PHRL.
Prior to notification, the teams of WHO and NIH visited four public health facilities to identify a suitable place for the laboratory. KMU was selected for the purpose due to its faculty, staff and infrastructure.
Officials in health department said that WHO, Centre for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention and Public Health UK were supporting establishment of the PHRL.
Dr Asif Ali, additional director of PHRL, told Dawn that dengue section of the facility initiated work to cope with the dengue outbreak. He said that it had been planned to make the laboratory functional within two months but they requested WHO to help them in establishing its dengue section in view of the current outbreak.
He said that one-day training by WHO was conducted for their staff. He said that they had already advanced Eliza machine and NIH was providing more equipment to laboratory.
“We would complete the facility in five phases including upgradation of the existing infrastructure, training of staff, equipment and reagents by NIH. Moreover, we will be starting genetic sequencing about diseases in future,” said Dr Asif.
He said that the laboratory would be valuable to ascertain trend of diseases and enable the authorities concerned to respond promptly to the situation.
Meantime, Health Minister Shahram Tarakai told a press conference that a total of 1,289 suspected patients, including 982 from Peshawar, were tested. He said that 191 of them were tested positive.
“During the past 24 hours, 129 patients have been hospitalised and 51 of them are still being treated. The rest of the patients have been sent home after treatment,” he said.
The minister said that a helpline (1700) was established to give information to the people round the clock. “Since the outbreak of the epidemic, we have tested 9,559 suspected patients and 1,598 of them have been tested positive. So far, 663 patents have been hospitalised,” he added.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Pervez Khattak has instructed the authorities to take measures for controlling spread of dengue through constant surveillance and monitoring.
Presiding over a meeting, he directed the officials concerned to ensure proper implementation of the multi-pronged strategy for controlling and eliminating dengue virus.
However, more suspected dengue fever cases were reported in Lower Dir, Swabi and Mardan districts on Thursday.
According to Dr Qazi Ikram, the focal person on dengue at district headquarters hospital in Timergara, three patients belonging to Khall, Chapar and Kambat were tested positive for dengue fever.
He told journalists that patients were discharged from the hospital after completion of their treatment.
Sources said that Tariq Ali, one of the patients, was studying in Peshawar. He fell ill on his return from Peshawar. He was also treated at Timergara hospital.
Five more dengue patients were detected in Mardan and Swabi districts. They were tested positive at Mardan Medical Complex (MMC) on Thursday.
Dr Javed Iqbal, personal relation officer of MMC, said that the number of dengue patients at the hospital reached 10 after admissions of five more persons.
He said that the five new dengue patients were identified as Umar Farooq of Kuragh area, Abdul Qayum of Toru Qasmi locality, Zahir of Dosehra Chowk, Zahoor of Gulibagh and Zaibi, a resident of Swabi district.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1353836
