Malaria cases on the rise in Dera Ghazi Khan

Despite awareness campaign, numbers of patients diagnosed by private clinics is increasing

DERA GHAZI KHAN: In the native district of the Punjab chief minister, Dera Ghazi Khan (DG Khan), more than 900 cases of malaria have been reported over the last nine months.

Despite an awareness campaign to end the mosquito-borne infectious disease from the district, the numbers of patients treated by quack-run clinics and private clinics is on the rise.

A DG Khan Health Department official said that the responsibility lies with the institutes of Municipal Corporation and District Counsel.

According to the information obtained by The Express Tribune, the malaria cases were registered in the in DG Khan, Tehsil Headquarter (THQ) Hospital Tonsa, Sakhi Sarwar Civil Hospital, Teaching Hospital and multiple government hospitals during the months of April, May and June.

DG Khan is at the top of the list of malaria cases in the province.

District Health Authority Chief Executive Officer Dr Shahid Hussain Magsi said that the Health Department is making all possible efforts to eliminate malaria and polio. “A campaign is being run continually to eliminate the diseases and a special centre has been set up for its treatment in the Khar tribal area so that patients from Balochistan’s adjacent areas can also be covered.”

He added that since DG Khan is situated on the confluence of all four provinces, the patients arriving from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan adds to the increasing number of patients. He further said that citizens should cooperate with the Municipal Corporation and District Counsel to end malaria from the district.

He suggested, “There should be space spraying across the areas of the province where mosquitoes are grown. If the authorities concerned fulfill their responsibilities, malaria can be eradicated.” 

Published in The Express Tribune, July 9^th, 2019.