Signs, Symptoms and Care Programme

“The infections causing viral hemorrhagic fever are not spread by air, or talking to a patient and physical examination of a non-bleeding patient poses no risks,” informed Dr Bushra Jamil, Assistant Professor and Consultant Infectious Diseases at Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH), during the question-answer session at ‘Signs, Symptoms and Care’, a public health awareness programme arranged by AKUH. The University Hospital arranged the programme to educate the public on the outbreak of viral hemorrhagic fever in Karachi. The programme began with a presentation by Dr Waris Qidwai, Associate Professor and Consultant Family Physician who delivered a presentation on Bird Flu, followed by presentations by Dr. Omrana Pasha, Consultant Family Physician and Dr. Bushra Jamil on Dengue Fever and Congo Virus at AKUH’s Clifton Medical Services Centre.

Dr Bushra Jamil said that wearing gloves while drawing blood samples, and wearing gloves, gown and mask during resuscitation of a bleeding patient are generally protective. Only Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) spreads through contact with a bleeding patient and Dengue fever does not. In the current outbreak, most of the patients have been diagnosed to have Dengue hemorrhagic fever and the threat of CCHF appears to be minimal at this point, she added.

The two prevalent types of hemorrhagic fever in Pakistan are Dengue fever and Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic fever (CCHF). CCHF is a serious illness with high mortality and Dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) and Dengue shock syndrome (DSS) could have high mortality if not managed appropriately. Therefore, early recognition is extremely important. It is not possible to differentiate DHF/DSS from CCHF without laboratory confirmation.

“Since September, we have treated many patients with high-grade fever and thrombocytopenia (low platelet count). A significant number of these patients suffered from gum bleed or nosebleed and eventually recovered in a week or so. However, some patients developed major bleeding and succumbed to severe vascular collapse,” Dr Bushra Jamil disclosed.

AKUH organises ‘Sign, Symptoms and Care’ as part of its outreach programme and societal commitment of creating awareness of early diagnosis and timely treatment. The University Hospital has so far organised over 190 ‘Signs, Symptoms and Care’ programmes in Karachi, Hyderabad and the UAE, benefiting more than 39,000 people.

Similarly, AKUH’s Patient Welfare Programme reaches out to patients by providing assistance to those who are unable to afford the medical cost of their treatment. 73 per cent of all patients treated at the AKUH are from low to middle-income areas. Since the inception of this welfare programme in 1986, over Rs. 1.22 billion has been disbursed to more than 225,000 needy patients.