Dengue outbreak compounds misery of Pakistan floods
Floodwaters have receded in parts of Pakistan, but the country is now witnessing a massive disease outbreak. Inadequate public health facilities and a shortage of medicines have put the lives of citizens at risk.
Flood aftermath
Heavy monsoon rains in Pakistan have submerged large parts of the country, killing more than 1,500 people. Hundreds of thousands of people displaced by the floods have been left homeless. Residents now face disease outbreaks, particularly the mosquito-borne dengue virus.
Disease outbreaks
Residents of Nowshera, Mardan and Peshawar cities in Pakistan's northwest are grappling with a massive disease outbreak. Hospitals are overcrowded with dengue fever patients, and their numbers are increasing by the day. Cholera, diarrhea and dysentery are also spreading in the displacement camps due to lack of clean water.
Medical camps set up
A woman from Nowshera city in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province told DW she started suffering from chest infection and skin diseases after the floods. Authorities have set up medical camps to treat patients with fever, cough, sore throat, diarrhea, and dengue. But due to a lack of resources, many people are struggling to get to a doctor.
Women among worst affected
A coordinator for a medical camp says that residents are suffering from a number of diseases. He told DW that authorities have set up makeshift clinics to treat people, and additionally, mobile camps have also been made available. Patients from all age groups are suffering from a number of diseases, he said.
Rampant dengue virus
Mina, a 55-year-old Peshawar woman, says her daughter and granddaughter are suffering from dengue. She needs blood plasma for their treatment. She said, the hospital in Peshawar is providing plasma for free but there have been reports of a shortage of medicine to treat dengue patients in many parts of the province.
Shortage of medicines
Aid organizations say more medicine is urgently needed to stop the spread of waterborne diseases after the flooding. Pharmacies are out of painkillers, antibiotics, and medicine for skin, gynecological issues, diabetes and eye infections. Pharmaceutical companies have blamed the government for drug shortages, as a price cap has raised the cost of production and led to suspended manufacturing.
Chronic patients
A doctor from the Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar told DW that there is no shortage of medicines in the city. "If a patient is suffering from chronic diseases like diabetes, we treat them accordingly," she said, adding that currently the hospital is treating 25 dengue patients, including women and children.