Medicines sent to Tirah after detection of chickenpox cases

KHYBER: Health department sent medical supplies to Tirah valley in Bara tehsil on Saturday after detection of suspected chickenpox cases in the area.

Director Genera Health Services Dr Shaukat Ali alerted hospitals owing to the exponentially increased number of chickenpox cases in Bara tehsil of Khyber and Mastuj tehil of Upper Chitral, a press release said.

It said that red alert was declared in both the tehsils with standing instructions that the hospitals in the areas would remain open round-the-clock.

The required human resources, medicines, commodities and referral mechanism were in-place, it said. Mobile medical teams under the supervision of the relevant district health officers (DHOs) have been asked to visit the areas regularly till situation gets normal.

It said that the suspected patients aging five to 65 years included four women and two children. One patient received initial treatment at Khyber Teaching Hospital in Peshawar and others were stable. It said that the department was also holding awareness sessions in both areas because it was very contagious disease and the people were being advised to visit hospitals in case of having symptoms.