The Mnazi Mmoja head of disease prevention, Dr Salma Masauni, confirmed the matter. She said at least two women were admitted to the hospital, one of whom is a businesswoman from the Mainland
Zanzibar/Dar es Salaam/Shinyanga. At least two people have been referred to the Mnazi Mmoja Hospital in Zanzibar, where they were admitted after being diagnosed with dengue fever.
The reports from the Isles came as health authorities in Shinyanga also said a case of a four-year-old child who died a few days ago may have been due to the dengue fever.
Meanwhile, the ministry of Health has issued a statement clarifying that treatment against dengue fever is free in all public health facilities.
The statement further warned private clinics that would receive government-funded test kits against charging patients.
According to the ministry, the dengue rapid diagnostic kits have been dispatched to all public health centres. There was, however, persistent reports from various public health facilities in Dar es Salaam that the kits were not available. Private health clinics have raised the testing fee, charging as much as Sh50,000.
It was also reported that some public health centres were charging between Sh2,500 and Sh3,000.
The ministry is also cautioning the public to be wary of quacks that are said to advance falsehoods that there are alternative treatments for dengue fever. ‘‘There is no known scientifically proven treatment for dengue fever,’’ says the statement.
Reports of the existence of an alternative treatment for dengue were circulating in social media after some dealers posted an advert meant to entice potential dengue victims.
In Zanzibar, the disease was discovered on Wednesday after two patients went for tests at Al-Rahma Hospital, a private facility. They were later rushed to Mnazi Mmoja Hospital, a government referral facility.
The Mnazi Mmoja head of disease prevention, Dr Salma Masauni, confirmed the matter. She said at least two women were admitted to the hospital, one of whom is a businesswoman from the Mainland.
She added that the other patient was from Kama Village on the outskirt of Unguja Town. Dr Masauni said both patients were in the intensive care unit (ICU).
“We have taken their blood samples to the National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR) in Dar es Salaam. We are waiting for further results,” she said.
he Zanzibar deputy minister for Health, Dr Sirra Ubwa Mamboya, said her office has already received the information and it was doing all it could to check the scourge.
In Shinyanga, the regional health department
cautioned residents on the growing fear that the dengue fever could
spread in the region.
The warning follows reports that one child who died at the hospital last week could have been a victim of the fever.
The caution was issued yesterday by the regional medical officer in charge, Dr Fredrick Mlekwa.
“Following the mounting fear of the disease, we forwarded the child’s sample results to Dar for further investigation.”
Yesterday, the deputy minister for health, Dr
Stephen Kebwe, failed to explain why public hospitals continue to face a
shortage of dengue test kits despite the government’s insistence that
there was no problem.
Reported by Mwinyi Sadallah, Syriacus Buguzi, Fariji Msonsa, Julieth Ngarabali and Stella Ibengwe source the Citizen
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