The wrath of the dengue fever has been mitigated compared with last year when health establishments’ dengue wards were packed with patients while thousands more were coming in for blood tests and the entire metropolitan was in the grip of fear.
Last year, the health experts from Srilanka and the WHO had termed it one of the severest epidemics in the world and estimated the death toll could cross 25000, if the government did not respond. This year however, the government reports estimate is around 70 cases so far while the unofficial figures are also below 100, showing a decline. The government had formed a cabinet committee chaired by the chief minister and his advisor Salman Rafique, to monitor progress on dengue. In addition to that, an entire team has been recruited to fight dengue with an entomologist recruited in every town to search for dengue larvae and eradicate it. Surveillance teams have also been working on war footing and a standard operation procedure has been revised in hospitals to treat dengue patients.
The team of doctors who had received training from foreign experts has also imparted it to locals who are serving in different health facilities here. The government on its part has made a lot of effort to create awareness about the epidemic. Various seminars have been organized to educate people on how to cope with the deadly fever. Special time has been allocated to teach students about dengue, while a school curriculum has also been revised to increase awareness about the deadly disease. Commissioners and DCOs are also monitoring the situation on their respective levels.
