With the confirmation of nine more positive cases of dengue haemorrhagic fever in Sindh, the total number of dengue patients in the last 10 days has reached 24.
According to the Dengue Surveillance Cell (DSC), seven of the dengue confirmed patients are from Karachi while the other two are from the Sukkur district. Despite the rising number of dengue cases in the province, the provincial DSC has failed completely to make arrangements for the prevention and treatment of the deadly viral disease.
With 16 districts of the Sindh province submerged due to recent devastating rains, healthcare experts are warning for more cases to emerge in due time. However, the DSC has not even been able to collect information regarding the exact number of dengue cases from other parts of the province. On contact, DSC acting in-charge Dr Shakeel Mallik admitted his department had failed to collect information from rain-hit districts of lower Sindh.
“We are not able to collect information because all three phone lines of the cell are dead.” In absence of the health minister, the Sindh chief minister heads the Health Department portfolio, but he has never bothered to take interest in the department.