Dengue outbreak in Kech

Zeeshan Nasir

On a sunny Sunday afternoon in the Kech District, Khalid Baloch, a second-year MBBS student at Makran Medical College, begins to experience symptoms he can’t explain. He has a high fever, severe headache, pain behind his eyes, fatigue, and nausea. After getting tested at the hospital, he receives a concerning diagnosis: Dengue fever. Troubled by the news, especially after hearing about several deaths in the district, he decides to halt his classes and returns to his hometown.

Just two or three days later, another first-year MBBS student, Ahmed Zaki, falls ill with the same symptoms and is also diagnosed with Dengue fever. He too leaves his classes in between to recover in his hometown at Mangochar, Kalat district. Javed Baloch, a third-year MBBS student, becomes the third victim of the outbreak in a row.

As the situation unfolds, Noman Baloch, Javed’s close friend, urges the principal to close the institute for summer vacations to prevent further spread of the deadly fever and protect the students’ health.

Deaths in Kech

Dengue cases are on the peak in the district Kech of Makran. The figures coming in from the health Department are very concerning as the death toll due to the Dengue fever has risen to 17. The report from the concerning District Health Department further reiterates that there has been three thousand and seven hundred reported cases of Dengue in the district.

The areas with larger number of Dengue patients are from areas like Sangani Sar, Apsar, Koshaklat, Shahi Tump, Gokdan, Dhanuk, Chah Sar, Koshak, Malikabad, Zor Bazar, Dashti Bazar and Bahman.

As per as reports, many Dengue patients are under treatment at the civil and private hospitals of the district while others are undergoing treatment at several hospitals of Karachi and Quetta.

According to a press release by the District Health Department,it has been working tirelessly in line with its workers to get rid of Dengue since the inception of the first few cases. The DHO, Dr. Abu-Bakr Baloch, who remains active on social media, tells that in March, when dengue cases emerged in Turbat, the DHO Kech office informed the Health Secretary and DG office on March 20^th. Subsequently, on March 27^th and 28^th, teams from WHO and the Vector Borne Disease Program were sent to Gwadar by the Secretary and DG office, where they trained the district health management teams, doctors, and paramedics of Turbat and Gwadar on larviciding and case management. On March 29^th, the teams from WHO and the Vector Borne Disease Program arrived in Turbat and investigated the affected areas (UC Jusak and UC Absar).

Dengue awareness drive at Atta Shad Degree college by PPHI, Kech

Their investigations revealed that the primary sources of dengue presence were water containers in homes, open water tanks, and leftover water containers. On the same day, DHO, WHO, and the Vector Borne Disease Program jointly released a video message for public awareness. On April 13th, a 20-bed separate ward for dengue patients was established in Turbat Teaching Hospital. On the same day, a medical camp was organized at BHU Jusak with the support of PPHI.

From May 9^th to 12^th, WHO trained 84 volunteers of NRSP with the cooperation of DHMT( District Health Management Team) and deployed them in UC Absar and Jusk, where they visited 4,954 houses, with larvae found in 411 houses. A total of 15,134 water containers were inspected, with larvae found in 1,031 containers, which were cleaned on the spot. From May 14^th to 16^th, the DHO conducted a three-day anti-dengue campaign in UC Shahi Tump, during which teams visited 504 houses and found larvae in 29 houses. During this campaign, 705 water containers were inspected, with larvae found in 68 containers and fumigation process showed fruitful results.

On May 15^th, the DHO held an awareness session on dengue at Madrasa Ashraf-ul-Madaris in UC Absar, where he met with religious scholars and instructed them to raise awareness about dengue during Friday sermons.

Fumigation campaign at NUSACH school Kech. Photo courtesy/Facebook 

The locals on the other hand, repute these tall claims by the health department and say the fumigation campaign is yet to be completed.  “Water has accumulated in certain areas since last month’s rain, creating a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Fumigation by the health department are merely claims.” Says a concerned local in Jusak. “If we don’t take action  to fight dengue, it will spread fast, overwhelm our healthcare system, and cause a huge public health crisis.”

Subsequently on May 15, 2024, a petition was filed by a citizen named Abdul Wahab in the Turbat bench of the Balochistan High Court regarding the outbreak of dengue virus and the lack of facilities at Turbat Teaching Hospital. The petition was represented by prominent Kech lawyer and senior advocate Shakeel Ahmed Zamrani. The divisional bench consisted of Chief Justice of the Balochistan High Court Justice Muhammad Hashim Khan Kakar and Justice Abdullah Baloch.

During the hearing, Shakeel Ahmed Zamrani argued that the dengue situation in District Kech has intensified, resulting in the loss of many precious lives, and that basic health facilities are unavailable in the district. He further stated that Turbat Teaching Hospital is deprived of fundamental facilities.

The High Court ordered the Health Secretary and DHO Kech to appear with a progress report on May 21, 2024, at the Balochistan High Court Quetta. The court also directed that immediate medical facilities be provided to the public, as it is their basic right, and to ensure the attendance of doctors. Additionally, the court ordered that emergency funds be released immediately and updates be provided in the chamber.

Anti-dengue fumigation at Turbat city__photo courtesy/Facebook 

“As a final year MBBS student at the Makran Medical College, I visit the civil hospital daily to attend classes and take patient histories,” An MBBS student remarks. “Most of the patients I encounter are suffering from Dengue fever, which has seen a significant surge in cases in the district. The wards are filled with the sounds of suffering.”

Anti-dengue spray at Kaisak village, Kech

According to the student, the patient-to-bed ratio is low at the civil hospital. “To effectively address the situation, proper spraying and mosquito repellents must be utilized to eliminate the mosquitoes, and isolated wards are necessary to control the outbreak.”

To combat dengue fever, we need to take several steps. First, we must eliminate mosquito breeding sites. We can do this by removing standing water and using insecticides. We also need to monitor and track dengue cases to identify areas where the disease is spreading. Public awareness campaigns can educate people on how to prevent dengue and what to do if they get sick. Using mosquito repellents and covering water storage containers can also help prevent the spread of dengue.