Health department runs short on supply of anti-mosquito spray

Number of dengue patients in city increases to seven

RAWALPINDI: The health department is running short on supply of anti-mosquito spray at a time when dengue has spread to a dangerous level in the city with the number of dengue patients increasing to seven, sources said on Friday.

One to two patients are being admitted in the three public hospitals on a daily basis, sources in the health department said.

The health department does not have enough pesticide and spray machines to eliminate dengue mosquitos and larvae, they said. The department of health has informed the deputy commissioner that it only has enough spray to last till July 15 and if it is not brought from Lahore in two days then the dengue campaign will have to be stopped.

The deputy commissioner has asked the Punjab health department director general to send the spray to Rawalpindi on war footing. The deputy commissioner has also asked the Chaklala Cantonment Board and Rawalpindi Cantonment Board to spray medicine and provide it to the department of health.

Govt striving to control mosquito-borne diseases

The district administration has issued directions to the local government for third party spray and monitoring of the health department, as well as complete checking for dengue larvae. All the government hospitals, educational institutes and schools have been taken away from the health department for dengue campaign and instead have been handed over to the Civil Defence Department (CDD).

With the start of monsoon rain dengue has started to spread. In the allied hospital, 50 to 100 patients affected by dengue are being brought in on a daily basis while yesterday the doctors declared seven patients to be afflicted with dengue. The patients have been admitted in the allied hospitals, the remaining were sent home after being given medicines.

The dengue patients were brought from Dhok Hasoo, Morgah, Rehmatabad and Misaryal. The district administration has decided to pit ducks in the ponds to control dengue larva. The environment department will check the tire shops and other places in the district. Temporary employees are being appointed for the dengue campaign. The number of dengue patients all over Punjab has increased to 30.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 13^th, 2019.