Infectious diseases on the rise in Sindh

  

Need stressed for setting up more specialised infectious disease facilities in public health sector

By Mukhtar Alam

KARACHI: The Sindh Infectious Disease Hospital and Research Centre (SIDH&RC) in Karachi reported a 6% increase in patient admissions in 2024, registering 7,645 cases from all major infection categories, compared to 2023 figures of inpatients.

This rise is particularly alarming given the increased threat of tuberculosis (14% among adults) and measles (32% among children).

According to the SIDH’s annual data shared with Social Track, the 173-bed hospital admitted 5,252 adults and 2,393 children in 2024, up from 4,923 adults and 2,296 children in 2023. The hospital also saw a significant increase in outpatient visits, with 38,189 adults and children attending clinics in 2024, a 33% rise from 2023, which, as per doctors, reflects on considerable prevalence of infectious diseases that are grouped like viral, bacterial, parasitic, fungal, transmissible and other infections.

The data further revealed that 805 patients, including 163 children, died at the hospital in 2024. Of the total admissions, 53% were males and 47% females.

Among those who were admitted at the hospital located in Gulshan-e-Iqbal, there were maximum 762 cases of measles, challenging the long continuing vaccine preventable disease efforts made under the governmental arrangements. Measles cases were followed by dengue (556 cases), pneumonia (553), enteric (505), TB suspected (455), acute gastroenteritis (405), malaria (368), TB (270), UTI/Urosepsis (258), COPD (240) and other cases.

The hospital also treated 197 cases of diphtheria in 2024, up from 100 in 2023, with 7% of cases involving children and 1% involving adults. Diphtheria has been a public health concern remerging in the last couple of years in the province.    

Amid growing concern of rising number of infectious diseases in the province, the SIDH data mentioned of people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), with 208 newly detected cases in 2024. The hospital has around 350 registered HIV patients, confided a source in the hospital.

Talking to this scribe, SIDH&RC Medical Superintendent, Dr Abdul Wahid Rajput, said that measles, diphtheria, gastroenteritis, bronchopneumonia and dengue were dominating diseases among the admitted children in 2024. “Our clinics handled patients suffering from infectious, pulmonary, nephrology, pediatric, and cardiac diseases, while around 20,000 patients were seen in the adult triage for emergency medical attention and care.

On a question about the rising number of HIV patients registered at the hospital, Dr Rajput said that cases did come from outside Karachi as well, and they were tested for the disease and equally counselled about their future line of living and behaviour. If found positive, the patient is referred to the provincial government’s entity concerned for CD4 load assessment and provision of due medicines, he added.

“HIV cases detected here may be attributed to unsafe sex workers, unsafe blood transfusing units and others,” he said while emphasising the need for enhancing HIV prevention measures. According to him, sometimes patients admitted with chronic diseases or compromised resistance are detected with HIV at later stage during the course of treatment.

Stressing the need for setting up more specialised infectious disease facilities at secondary level in the public health sector, he shared that sometimes SIDH has to deny or delay admissions to patients in view of the non-availability of HDU or IDU units, with the notion that overall there is a need to create further awareness about the infectious diseases, particularly the vaccine preventable diseases, as well as strengthening physicians and allied medical hands against these diseases at major hospitals.   

News report courtesy: Social Track, Karachi.

With an uninterrupted 23-year career in daily journalism (1991-2013), the author/editor of this blog currently serves as Editor of Social Track, a weekly newspaper focused on social sectors, based in Karachi. Holding a master's degree in Mass Communications from the University of Karachi (1990), his professional experience includes roles as senior reporter at Daily Dawn, Karachi (May 2001-August 2013) and Chief Reporter at The News International, Karachi (April 1991-May 2001). He has a strong background in development journalism, he has an extensive portfolio of news stories, analytical reports and features covering a wide range of sectors. He has had the privilege of covering numerous high-profile figures, including Pakistani presidents, prime ministers, army chiefs, foreign dignitaries, and VVIPs and attending conferences and workshops abroad. He began his journalism career in the early 1980s. Throughout his career, he has received several national awards from government and private organisations. He has contributed to various radio and TV/channel broadcasts and has also served as a trainer at workshops in Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad, focused on training journalists.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

KU syndicate takes decisions on appointments, terminations

Image
IV report KARACHI: Under Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Khalid M Iraqi's guidance, the University of Karachi (KU) syndicate made key decisions on August 31, including appointments of department chairpersons, termination of two lecturers. The syndicate approved appointments of six department chairpersons and a director of institute: Professor Dr Sobia Anees Shahzad (Sociology), Professor Dr Shamshad Akhtar (Geography), Professor Dr Abdul Wahab (Microbiology), Dr Saima Akhtar (Public Administration), Dr Rahila Rehmat Zehra (Biotechnology) and Zaima Israr Mohiuddin (Commerce). Dr Irfan Aziz was appointed Director of Dr M Ajmal Khan Institute of Sustainable Halophytes Utilisation. The syndicate decided to remove two lecturers of the Physics department --Rabia Najam and Omair Ishaque-- from the services in the light of two separate inquiry reports, said a KU press release. The statutory body also endorsed recommendations of the university’s committee on unfair means for cancellation o...
Read more

KU syndicate greenlights SHEC building on campus, despite reservations

Image
By Mukhtar Alam KARACHI: The University of Karachi (KU) syndicate accepted a request from the Sindh Higher Education Commission (SHEC) to construct a complex on a two-acre prime land, despite some members' reservations. A four-member committee, headed by Engineer Memon Abdul Jabbar, will finalise the proposed land transfer modalities for the consideration of syndicate. The committee comprises three syndicate members, including two government appointees and a provincial government nominee. Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Khalid Mahmood Iraqi chaired the meeting, addressing concerns raised by members, on August 31. According to a KU press release, the Sindh Higher Education Commission (SHEC) requested two acres of land for its building. The KU syndicate addressed concerns by stipulating that the SHEC building will be non-commercial and the land will remain KU property. “Upon SHEC's departure, KU administration will manage and govern the building." However, independent qua...
Read more

University of Karachi syndicate meeting mired in controversy

Image
IV Report KARACHI: The sixth meeting of the University of Karachi's syndicate for 2024, held on October 31, was marked by intense debate on several issues, including the promotion of 54 university officers to higher grades. A senior faculty member, Dr Riaz Ahmed, a syndicate member, expressed concerns that the university administration applies different criteria for promoting teaching and non-teaching staff. Despite the syndicate approving promotions for over 50 officers in grades 18 to 20, Dr Ahmed pointed out to the chair of the meeting, Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Khalid M Iraqi, that the departmental promotion committee violated the syndicate's set policy by not including a syndicate member in the promotion committee, as decided in 2018. He also highlighted that eight candidates received higher grades under the Incentive Scheme, despite already availing of the benefit twice, which undermines the rules. Other contentious issues included disagreements over the minutes of ...
Read more