K-P struggles to contain dengue outbreak

The provincial government has completely failed to control the dengue situation in the province as another 247 new cases have been reported in the last 24 hours across the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) province.

The total number of ‘confirmed’ dengue cases has reached 8,090 across the province as the Health Department only considers those cases authentic which are declared by hospital laboratories and the tests of the private labs are dismissed as unauthentic.

So far, as per the official records, nine people have lost their lives to dengue fever which is spreading fast despite all the tall claims of the government and district administrations and advent of cold weather in the province.

Peshawar remains on the top of the most affected districts in the province as 194 new cases have been reported and there is at least one dengue patient in every household in the district.

On the other hand, the district administration claimed that dengue eradication campaign was in full-swing in the provincial capital and the joint teams of the Health Department, town municipal administration (TMAs) and Water Supply and Sanitation Programme Peshawar (WSSP) under the supervision of district administration are conducting spray in various localities.

A seven-day anti-dengue drive has been launched on the special directives of the chief secretary Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa

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According to Deputy Commissioner (DC) Peshawar 303 Lady Health Workers (LHWs) and Community Health Workers (CHWs) have been deployed in 12 hotspots including Kotla Mohsin Khan, Safaid Dheri, Achni, Sango, Sheikhan, Phandu, Pishtakhara, Tehkal-1, Tehkal-2, Bazid Khel and Deha Bahadar.

The administration claimed that entomologists and other staff are also accompanying 80 special anti-dengue teams and conducting both in-door and out-door sprays in each and every house.

The entomologists of the dengue eradicating teams are collecting samples of the water and getting information about dengue larva and then taking further action.

Deputy Commissioner (DC) has directed the officers of district administration to take all necessary measures for prevention of dengue virus and eradication of dengue mosquito.   He has also appealed to the general public for covering of the water tanks of their houses and leaving no standing water anywhere and in utensils to remain cautious.

He said that the dengue virus could not be controlled without the cooperation of the people.

Deputy Commissioner vowed to utilize all available resources to control the dengue fever and will not rest till the district is cleared of the dengue mosquito.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 7^th, 2021.