Risky environment: Mosquitoes take a heavy toll on carpenter’s life

He claims, the government, like last year is not doing enough to deal with mosquitoes.

LAHORE: As if prolonged power cuts were not enough to make carpenter Faisal Aziz’s life miserable, mosquitos and their carried dengue virus forced him to close shop last year.

Faisal, who ran his makeshift workshop in Dubai Town near Raiwind Road, is now struggling to make ends meet. Last year, he worked for 12 to 14 hours a day as he has three mouths to feed.

“I caught the dengue virus last year. Since it took me a month to recover, I had to borrow money to run the kitchen at home and meet my medical expenses. After recovering, I didn’t have the money to pay the Rs20,000 rent. Therefore, I had to vacate my shop,” he tells The Express Tribune.

Since Faisal lost his workshop, he started working with a construction company. “I just could not afford to pay my loans and reopen the shop,” he says.

“Now the new dengue season has started again and mosquitoes are roaming freely. I have to sleep on the rooftop of my house because of prolonged load-shedding,” he complains. The carpenter fears he may catch the disease again. Despite the fact the city’s increasing temperature, the health department has not started any anti-dengue drive, he claims.

“Mosquitoes are everywhere. I work 12 hours a day at the company and have sleepless nights because of power cuts and mosquitoes,” he said. “What will the government do if I get ill again? Will they feed my children?”

Where are the campaigns?

At the same time last year, the government distributed pamphlets about the disease throughout the province and launched several awareness campaigns. Furthermore, fumigation drives were also in full swing, but locals say matters are different in 2017.

“This time around, the government has not launched any public awareness campaigns at schools and colleges. Maybe they are waiting for a dengue outbreak,” says Arshad Perviaz, a resident of Walton Cantonment.

According to the University of Health and Sciences Department of Human Genetics and Molecular Biology Head Professor Aslam Khan, negligence on the part of the government is most likely to cause  an outbreak of the potentially deadly virus. “It is breading season and larvae has emerged everywhere in the city. “People must take proper care,” the professor stressed.

Residents should stock up anti-mosquito spray and cover water pots to avoid the spread of the disease, he said. The professor stressed the government must ensure the availability of medicines at government hospitals.

The government’s role

A health department spokesperson told The Express Tribune that just like 2016, the government has already started campaigns against dengue. He added authorities established union-council level committees and mobile teams to oversee spray campaigns to eliminate larvae at breeding sites, he added.

“Dengue spray has started in the city, but people should also take care of themselves and not let stagnant water lay around their houses or other public places,” he concludes.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 6^th, 2017.