Don’t politicise dengue issue: minister
A patient suffering from dengue fever sits under a mosquito net inside a dengue and malaria ward at the Sindh Government Services Hospital in Karachi September 21, 2022. PHOTO: REUTERS
Punjab Minister for Primary and Secondary Healthcare Dr Akhtar Malik has regretted politics over the dengue issue and said that the PTI-led government during the last three months has undertaken more effective measures to control dengue as compared to the Hamza Shahbaz government.
Dr Akhtar Malik was addressing a high-level meeting of the Punjab Dengue Monitoring Committee held at the Civil Secretariat on Saturday which was attended amongst others by administrative secretaries.
Chief Secretary Abdullah Khan Sumbal, divisional commissioners and deputy commissioners attended the meeting via video link.
The health minister said that in a bid to control dengue, 20.4 million surveillances, 185,000 IRS and 7000 fogging activities were undertaken by the Hamza Shahbaz regime while our government during the past three months undertook 79.2 million dengue surveillance, 1.18 million IRS and 100,000 fogging activities across the province which reflected out commitment towards addressing these issues.
He observed that despite heavy flash floods and monsoon dengue situation in the province is much better and only 38 deaths due to dengue were reported in current years as compared to 98 casualties reported during the corresponding period of last year.
The minister asked all deputy commissioners to expedite indoor surveillance activities to prevent aggravation of the dengue situation.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 13th, 2022.