The dengue epidemic has sucked up all resources and attention of the Health Department, while all other development activity in the health sector has been put on the backburner, Pakistan Today has learnt. Sources revealed that the Punjab government had release Rs 500 million to the City District Government Lahore (CDGL) to cope with the dengue epidemic, while Rs 75 million have been earmarked for the health department to purchase 18 cell separators from abroad. Moreover, the department is also planning to purchase hematology analyzers whose numbers have yet to be decided and requisite finances be taken from the Finance Department.
The sources further said that the authorities concerned have halted all other development activity in the health sector since the dengue outbreak, which had become the focus of not only the department’s but the government’s attention as well. “There are so many different development schemes including hospitals, provision of different facilities to far flung areas and installation of new equipment and other crucial facilities across the health sector which has been affected,” they added.
A senior government official, seeking anonymity, commented on the working of the department and the government which always “wakes up” after the damage has been done. He said beforehand planning should have been done instead of throwing in all human and material resource into managing just one disease, which is “curable”.
The official said the government had banned all posting, transfers and leave applications of health officials due to the dengue, which was a positive step but it should not mean that the entire development work should be neglected.
“The dengue epidemic has hit mostly Lahore and a few other districts. The population of Punjab is almost 90 million living in 36 districts. The government should no doubt do its best to control the epidemic but it should not mean neglecting the entire development process in the rest of the province,” the official added.
A health department official said that it was not just the Health Department which had been exhausted in handling dengue, but the entire government machinery, including the chief secretary, who has been getting daily updates on the spreading disease as more people fall victim, was only focusing on dengue. “We should realize that it is the fourth time the disease is hitting the city and by now the government should have made a comprehensive strategy to cope up with it in the coming years and avoid putting the entire development activity on the backburner,” he added.