Contaminated or polluted water contains harmful germs or chemicals. The water that does not contain any parasites or poisonous chemicals is known as safe water. Water that looks clear is not always safe as it may contain thousands of germs. It is important, however, that water should not only be safe but also acceptable in terms of taste, appearance and odour, says one of the definitions of ‘contaminated water’.

Unfortunately, our public is very ignorant when it comes to judging the quality of water. They still perceive running water as clean water. I remember how I used to be taken aback while trekking with some local trekkers who would stop at every stream to fill up their bottles. On looking at the surprize look on my face they used to “inform” me that this is running water and it’s clean so come on have a drink, to which I had to give them a detailed lecture on Cryptosporidium and Gardia, and hazzards of drinking running water from glaciers without proper sterilization and treatment. People only talk of water shortages; they never talk about the quality of water. But I think before taking a sip from a glass of water they should question themselves whether the water is safe or not.
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Recently, I posted about the Health Care facitilities situation in the Capital. Well it seems some one in the royal echelons has finally paid heed to this domain.
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Yesterday I had to visit PIMS (Pakistan’s Institute of Medical Sciences). From a cursory look I was satisfied by the level of cleanliness and the response of staff. However, I did realise that PIMS is now getting crowded by patients, and probably in a few years would not be able to cater to much of Islamabad’s Health and Emergency needs. Another problem lies with the expenditure related to health facilities in Islamabad. Although you can get a prompt emergency check up for Rs 5 registration charges, but the medicines are very expensive, and I am wondering how the poor manage it all. I was quite impressed by the new public hospital system in Punjab especially Lahore that caters to the poor by providing free medical check up and medicines to the needy. Perhaps some one from Lahore can shed more light on how it actually works, but Islamabad lacks that.
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Even though Islamabad is not really in the midst of the dengue epidemic as the authorities are taking a much better stand against it than in Karachi, i still feel this post would be pertinent here too.

Afterall, prevention is better than cure. I still remember seeing the spray vans going around while i was there. PSO issues an advisory on how to detect presense of dengue-carrying mosquitoes which i’ll share below. Read up and let me know if you do find any dengue mosquitoes there.
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The story takes its start when I felt a great pain in my body. I was shivering with cold. Everyone knew that these symptoms are same as malaria. Two of my sisters took me to the emergency ward of our God blessed (or shall I say God forsaken :) hospital Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS).

Before going any further, I would like to inform my readers about the hospital. It is the biggest hospital in Islamabad. It deals with thousands of patients daily. Patients include from having miner injuries to big surgeries. It is the busiest hospital of the city.

I was taken in to the emergency ward. First, my blood pressure and temperature was taken. Blood pressure was fine but then the nurse never bothered to take the sleeves off my two thick jackets I was wearing due to extreme shivering so one will never know in reality what the blood pressure actually was. I was dying with pain all over my body as my muscles were very rigged after more then an hours violent shivering.. Moreover, the attendant was not sure which doctor would examine me. I had to shift three stools before a doctor was ready to see me ever so reluctantly.

At last, a doctor came to me and examined me. The examination contained listening to what ever my sisters had to say with half closed watery eyes and complete lake of interest. He decided to admit me and ask my sister to go and find an empty bed, which was found after running back and forth to all the room twice as no one knew where what was available. Apparently, if you go to the toilet without leaving some one to guard your bed, you might find some one else laying there on your return. Not to mention the filth on the bed sheet that my sisters had to spread their jackets under me to lie on so that I will not touch the disgusting sheet.

The next shock came when he asked the nurse to administer a drip with 6 big doses of injections with any test or pre-meditation about what my case or cause was… When my sister inquired what the diagnostic was, he said it might be this, that, or the other thing. One must wonder what the medicine was for this, that or the other thing 

Well well well, the misery does not end here. Yes, there is much more to tell :)

A male nurse came inside the room with three syringes. It took him five minutes to not find a vein. I suddenly jumped and the room was full of screams, the needle was killing me but he was not ready to pull it out until my sister yelled at him. Then he pulled it out and said it just got bended in side that’s all… AHHHHHHGGGGHHH. Can you believe that? He knew it but would take it out until some one almost strangled him.

There was so much pain and the noise in the ward was making it even worst. People were running around chatting at top of their lungs, cell phone ringing and what not my God. It looked like a Machli Mandi, with all sorts of hawkers selling their goods or as if it was a zoo not a hospital where monkeys are having party and elephants are running from one corner to another.

It was not all only painful though; there was humor available as well. It all started with a doctor hitting on my sister. It is quite common in our society for men to try to line maro on girls but some are more idiotic then others and this one toped them all. To try to find a common ground desperately he complained that no girls come to this hospital in modern clothing and we were all wondering what that has to do with patients showing up in emergency ward. It is not a nightclub after all or a fashion runway. We were betting at the end of that brilliant conversation how long would it take him to ask for one or our phone numbers for his lonely life.

Anyways after four long hours in hell, I was finally discharged from the emergency ward and sent back home with heavy doss of medicine. Three days later, I learned I had Malaria but I was taking Typhoid medicine. Great Eh.

Moral of the story for me was; always read up on different problems, their symptoms and possible treatment knowledge so that no one will make a fool of me again. I will advise you to do that same and take your life in your own hands at least as long as next generation when may be our children will make better doctors, just maybe.

Best of luck for if you ever get sick within this lifetime within Islamabad, but hey its not all that bad, you might get date out of it if you are willing take any fool that comes your way ;)

Cheers

NOTE: ALTHOUGH MOST MEDICATION REFERRED TO HERE IS AVAILABLE OVER THE COUNTER AND WITHOUT A PRESCRIPTION, PLEASE GET AN OKAY FROM A DOCTOR BEFORE TRYING ANY OF THE MENTIONED TREATMENTS!

Islamabad and its inhabitants are suffering these days from an influx of a severe viral wave of chest and flu infections that resemble pneumonia. Congestion of the sinuses, coughing and severe temperatures are accompanied by rapid and heavy sneezing that can lead to some breathing difficulty and chest and muscular pain.

For most chest infections Doctors are prescribing antibiotics, Klaricid (250mg, 500mg), or Augmentin for a duration of at least 5 days, depending on how stubborn the patient has been in taking medication. An assortment of cough syrups are also available over the counters from most pharmacies, such as Hydrillin, Triaminic and Benadryl, differing in potency and laxative (the element that causes drowsiness).

In addition, various ‘desi’ remedies like green tea served with honey and lemon, broth (yakhni), ‘joshanda and a herbal concoction prepared by boiling ginger and “ajwain” (Sorry, I don’t know the English for it) and straining the concentrate before drinking it are also being used by people. Some people also recommend taking steam with a teaspoon of a balm or a rub (like Vicks Vaporub) to help ease breathing and clear the sinuses.

However, what needs to be remembered is this virus has a two-week incubation period which basically means that if you do not take rest and medication as well as the cautions of keeping warm, keeping the head and chest wrapped up and ensuring that you do not swing in and out of different temperatuire environments; and getting plenty of fluids into your system, you may suffer a relapse that could be more intense and uncomfortable.

So, have a care fellow Isloo-ites. Take care when going about your daily routine and in case you have fallen ill, make sure you go to a doctor before the ailment gets worse.

If you’ve gone through Mansoor’s Dengue Commeth Post … then here’s few more on Dengue … aka macchar …!

The usual Mosquito is like this

Mosquito that causes Dengue is like this

It’s the Aedes aegypti mosquito that causes the deadly dengue fever.
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