Karachi Commissioner Shoaib Siddiqui, following the instructions of Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah, on Monday directed deputy commissioners and all officials concerned to introduce a contingency plan to combat dengue fever in the city.
The commissioner chaired a meeting in this regard, to review measures adopted for the prevention and control of the deadly virus.
“If we cannot eliminate the disease then we should at least be able to control its spread,” said Siddiqui. The attendees of the meeting observed that cases of dengue fever were continually being reported in the metropolis despite the fact that the current season is almost a dormant period for the lethal ailment. Measures to prevent outbreak of an epidemic and controlling the disease was also discussed in the conference. The commissioner said equal priority should be given to public awareness because measures at the grass roots level were the only way to defeat the virus. Siddiqui further directed the city administration to ensure drainage of stagnant water and regular fumigation of mosquito breeding grounds. For elimination of dengue larvae, he said proper fumigation would have to be ensured. All swimming pool managers and owners were to be taken into confidence to help eradicate the dengue virus. He ordered the administrators of the Karachi Municipal Committee hospitals and provincial health department officials to cooperate in developing a contingency plan with the Sindh Focal Person for Dengue Surveillance. Siddiqui said religious clerics too could play their part to secure the publics health and eliminate the deadly virus from the city.
