LAHORE: Around 2,880 dengue cases have been reported in Punjab as the provincial government claims to be focusing all its energies on containing the epidemic, Pakistan Today learnt reliably.
Well-placed sources within the health department said that Ovitraps – a device used for detecting dengue larvae – are being installed across the province.
“After the detection of dengue in an area, the health department and the district administrations step in and carry out surveillance operations,” sources said.
“The method of spraying diesel for exterminating dengue mosquito which was initiated by the previous government had little effect; this time around the government is spraying imported medicine for eradication of dengue which is proving quite fruitful.”
“However, the medicine being used in Rawalpindi and Islamabad is not up to the mark and is not producing the desired effect,” sources added.
Sources stated that recovery from the virus depended more on a person’s immune system and people suffering from dengue usually recovered without any proper treatment.
“Only the count of platelets are considered in a patient suffering from dengue virus and any patient with a weak immune system takes longer to recover,” sources said.
Sources revealed that district administrations in Lahore and Rawalpindi failed to carry out adequate surveillance which caused the virus to spread at a rapid pace.
A health department official, Dr Shafiq, on the other hand, said, “The government is putting in every effort to ensure the timely eradication of the virus. We have the necessary means to deal with the outbreak and [we] are receiving the full support of the district administrations and the Punjab government.”
The newly appointed deputy commissioner of Lahore, Asghar Johiya told Pakistan Today that a total of 66,775 houses were surveyed and dengue larvae were found to be present at some 1,162 points.
“Our teams have succeeded in terminating the larvae and I am personally leading the charge in carrying the surveillance operations,” the deputy commissioner said, adding that cases against 74 individuals – for negligence – have also been lodged.
It is worth mentioning here that the number of people contacting is increasing by the day, with 292 cases registered in Punjab only on Tuesday.
