Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has ordered police deployment for the implementation of dengue related measures adopted by the provincial government, Pakistan Today has learnt. According to the government’s data, more than 6,000 citizens of the city have fallen victim to dengue fever since the epidemic gripped the city, whereas according to the unofficial data about 11,000 men, women and children have been reported dengue positive.
The CM has ordered all departments of the Punjab government to take extraordinary measures against dengue. The CM not only ordered his subordinates to provide maximum healthcare facilities to the citizens at government hospitals but also directed private hospitals and laboratories to help Punjab government in controlling the deadly epidemic. Similarly, the CM has also ordered the Lahore Police to help other departments to control dengue in the city.
Sources claimed that the Lahore Police came into action when political and civil administration failed in implementing prices set by the Punjab government for helping dengue patients. A retired police official, on anonymity, said that basically, the implementation of price control lists was the responsibility of price control committees and implementation of law at private laboratories was the work of health inspectors, however the police officials were checking laboratories, which were overcharging for dengue tests, and controlling the prices of fogging machines.
Lahore Police DIG Operations Ghulam Mehmood Dogar said that helping people in danger was their prime responsibility. He said that the Lahore Police was duty bound to work for the government. SSP Operations Shaukat said that working to control dengue had not disturbed Lahore Police’s core work. He said that registration of case was their responsibility and they were performing their duties and nothing else.
SP Investigations Shoaib Khurram Jaanbaz on the issue said that according to police order 2002, police could also be used for social cause. He said that citizens were facing an emergency situation in the city and protecting their lives and property was their prime responsibility. He said the Lahore police had donated their one day salary for helping dengue victims.
The citizens have also started seeking the help of Lahore Police since the implementation of Section 144 in the city. Sources in Lahore police told that the police was receiving and responding to about 20 to 22 emergency calls daily, regarding overcharging of laboratories, overcharging on sale of fogging machines and about the misconduct of hospital staffers. Sources said that usually people called 15 during 12pm to 8pm about such issues. Sources claimed that locals were contacting the police even when someone was washing his car or bike in the street or when somebody had a complaint regarding the fumigation campaign.
However, policemen are facing serious problems at the police station level due to polices’ involvement in controlling dengue. A station house officer on condition of anonymity told Pakistan Today that some policemen were also victims of dengue and their family members were also suffering. He said that though working for the nation was their prime responsibility but lack of facilities and with little strength, it was little difficult for an SHO to cover all the aspects. He said that DIG Operations in a directive no 5158/06/PS had directed all SHOs to help the raiding parties raiding at different laboratories to control price, to monitor fumigation spray, to keep a check on education institutes i.e. schools till September 25, to help the citizens on different stalls installed at different government and private hospitals and to provide security at hospitals. He said to cover all these aspects excessive strength of police staffers was required. He said that activities of fraud, cheating and pick pocketing were on the rise due to excessive patients of dengue fever.
