RAWALPINDI: As many as 147 more dengue cases surfaced in the garrison city, taking the tally of the season to 2,143. Officials said 500 patients arrivedin three government hospitals in the last 24 hours and 147 of them were dengue cases.

At present, 280 dengue patients are admitted in the hospitals 95 in Holy Family Hospital, 50 in Rawalpindi Teaching Hospital, 92 in Benazir Bhutto Hospital and 43 in Fauji Foundation hospital.

Most of the patients arrived in the hospitals from Dhamial, Dhoke Munshi, Chak Jalal Din, Rehmatabad, Girja, Raniyal,Khayaban Janobi, Dhoke Kashmirian, New Parrian, Shakrial, Dhoke Kala Khan, Muslim Town, Cha Sultan, Chamanzar, Dhoke Hassu, Peshawar Road Afshan Colony, Dhoke Syedan, Gulistan Colony, Dheri Hassanabad, Tench Bhatta, Adra and adjoining areas of Rawalpindi and Chaklala cantonments.

Deputy Commissioner Dr Hassan Waqar Cheema told Dawn that the number of dengue cases increased in Rawalpindi after the first week of September. He said there were three main reasons for the surge in cases. `This year, more rain was recorded in August 374.2 millimetres compared to 214mm in August last year.

Secondly, he said, the dengue-H variant was found this year and it affected mostly those patients who had already been exposed to the virus in the last few years.

He said most of the patients arriving in hospitals with dengue fever belonged to areas locatedalong Leh Nullah while the number of people affected by the virus was less in areas away from nullahs.

The DC said earlier people did not come to hospitals for treatment and started self-medication.

`Mostly, people rush to hospitals when their dengue fever turns into dengue hemorrhagic fever, he said.

He said that fogging was not recommended by experts in all union councils in the monsoon season but now they allowed it in all union councils and the district administration had started the activity. He said a third party was monitoring the anti-dengue drive to check if surveillance was done as per the standard operating procedures ornot.

He said that clinics on wheels were conducting dengue tests in 20 points of high risk areas free of cost and on Tuesday 533 people contacted the clinics on wheels and 233 tests were conducted.

Furthermore, the district healthauthority is starting 500 more sanitary patrols to run the drive in high risk union councils and in this regard applications have been sought.

Meanwhile, the anti-dengue drive was reviewed by Commissioner Aamir Khattak at his office on Tuesday. The deputy commissioners, divisional heads andhealthofficialsofRawalpindi, Murree, Attock, Chakwal and Jhelum participated in the meeting.

The commissioner said all departments along were fighting against dengue. `Immediate reporting of the patient to hospital is very important to avoid a severe variant of the dengue virus,` he said.

He said additional teams had been deployed in high-risk union councils. The meeting was told that in the last 24 hours, 57 FIRs had been registered and 15 buildings sealed in Rawalpindi. A fine of Rs1.3 million was also imposed for violations of dengue SOPs.