Preventable outbreak

Now the government has admitted that slackness on its part has caused dengue outbreak in the capital city of Islamabad this year. The government did not take timely precautionary measures to prevent dengue in the national capital, the parliamentary secretary for National Health Services (NHS) told the National Assembly on Sept 30. The issue was raised by PTI legislators in view of the increasing number of dengue cases in Islamabad. When an MNA asked why fumigation was not carried out in April which is the season of larva development, NHS Parliamentary Secretary Dr Nausheen Hamid admitted that unfortunately spray was not done in April, which was the proper time for fumigation. She said it was being ensured to carry out timely fumigation from next year. Her promise to carry out timely fumigation in the future becomes a classic case of getting wise after the event.

This year so far around 10,000 cases of dengue fever have been reported across the country. The twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi are the worst hit. The parliamentary secretary said so far around 3,000 cases of dengue had been reported in Islamabad. She said an emergency centre had been established at the National institute of Health for dengue patients. She said survey teams had been formed to fumigate different parts of the city and fumigation was currently underway in localities where dengue larvae had been found. She stressed the need for spreading awareness about dengue among people. She said people should keep their homes and surroundings clean to prevent dengue and other diseases.

Various species of mosquitoes also cause malaria, chikungunya and zika virus, so preventive measures become all the more necessary. The admission by the government of its failure to carry out fumigation in a timely manner puts the bureaucracy in a poor light. Sometimes bureaucracy behaves in such a way that it seems half of them have left their brains at their homes and the other half has no brains.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 2^nd, 2019.

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