LAHORE: With number of dengue patients rising steadily, this year too the City District Government Lahore (CDGL) has failed to devise a long term strategy to cope with the virus, said Dr Salmaan Kazmi, the general secretary of the Young Doctors Association (YDA).
According to the Punjab Health Department, 92 fresh dengue fever cases were reported in Lahore in just one day on Tuesday, raising the total number of dengue cases in Lahore to 251. 39 dengue cases were reported at Kot Khawaja Saeed Hospital, 33 at private clinics, four at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, three at Services Hospital, six at Mayo Hospital and seven at the CDGL dispensary.
Interestingly, the number of dengue cases in Lahore is nearly as much as the total number of cases reported across Punjab. While talking to Pakistan Today, Dr Kazmi said that dengue is a fresh water mosquito mostly found in fresh water ponds and tyre shops.
The disease gets a pace with the start of the monsoon and continues until the winter season sets in. Despite the causes of the decease have been identified, CDGL has failed to deploy anti-virus guards at the common breeding places such as hostels and other public places.
He said the district administration has failed to deliver one of the basic health facilities to the citizens. He said the disease occurs every year, but there was no long term planning on the part of the administration, as the situation on ground was still the same.
“The district coordination officer, being the head of the CDGL should look into the matter and direct the health executive district officer (EDO) in this regard.” Commenting on the dengue awareness policy devised by the CDGL, he said that distribution of thousands of stickers and posters would not stop dengue and proper steps needed to be taken.
He said “During my 12 hour night shift at Mayo Hospital a few days ago we received nearly 300 patients with high fever, many of them with malaria and dengue and the situation overburdens hospitals not equipped to accommodate that many dengue patients,”.
Kazmi said that the government should introduce a system of checks and balances to evaluate the performance of officials as well. He said university hostels and other public places had not been fumigated yet, leaving a large chunk of population still at risk. The weather was changing and in winters-when the dengue mosquitoes are found no more- the CDGL will proclaim victory over the disease, he added.
However, EDO (health) Dr Fayyaz Ranjha said the CDGL had already taken steps such fumigation of public places to eradicate dengue mosquitoes, but the incidence of the disease in the household was a duty of the people themselves.
He said controlling mosquito growth was not the job of the CDGL. To a question, he said all private housing societies and educational institutions were responsible themselves to check dengue virus within their premises, as the CDGL official were not allowed to enter it.
“University administration charges millions of rupees from students, it is their duty and not the CDGL’s to ensure fumigation and sprays within their premises,” Ranjha added.
He said the CDGL had covered 126 union councils but the fumigation campaign kills only the mosquito breeding in filth. He said the cases will be controlled within the next three weeks.
