Dengue ends naturally, wards stay for next year

Govt failed to control the epidemic that claimed 85 lives in Rawalpindi

RAWALPINDI: The drop in temperature across the country has killed the mosquitoes causing dengue fever. Otherwise, the government had failed to control the vector-borne disease otherwise.

However, the dengue wards and counters set up in the public hospitals would remain in place, while the anti-dengue campaign has been confined to case responsive surveillance only.

Earlier, the district administration had enforced the dengue emergency across the district with the collaboration of the health department and other related departments on September 3 as the disease had spread like wildfire due to inadequate measures on the part of the administration.

During the emergency period, more than 12,000 dengue cases were reported from the district with a death toll of 85.

The epidemic went out of the administration’s control and all the measures that were taken later proved to be futile.

However, the disease was controlled naturally with the onset of the winter season and eventually ended.

According to the new Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) issued by the district administration, the health department would only conduct anti-dengue action under case-response so that the disease could be curtailed next year.

The campaign for next season would start in March 2020 in full swing to prevent its outbreak.

In this regard, District Health Authority (DHA) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr Sohail Chaudhry said that the development of the plan for next year was underway and added that the next year’s campaign would be made such effective that the dengue was eradicated at the larvae stage. 

Published in The Express Tribune, December 3^rd, 2019.