Anti-dengue drive suspended

Health dept fears disease outbreak after recovery of larvae from 41 places

RAWALPINDI:

The Rawalpindi administration has paused the anti-dengue checking and monitoring campaign besides related departmental meetings till the completion of the distribution of the Ramazan ration package across the district.

The campaign was halted when medical experts declared next week ideal for the spread of dengue larvae after the recent rains. After the rains, the dry season will begin in Rawalpindi from coming Sunday. Change in weather is likely to increase the spread of dengue larvae, its birth and breeding.

At present, all dengue patrol field workers have been engaged in Ramazan ration distribution duties. The suspension of the campaign has also affected the smooth recruitment process, earlier ordered by the Deputy Commissioner, of 1500 dengue workers and 450 entomologist experts.

The distribution of ration was supposed to be completed before the start of Ramazan, but the process could not be completed owing to the laziness of the administration, confusion in the lists of beneficiaries and no clear plan and policy.

According to district administration sources, this distribution is likely to continue till the 22nd of Ramazan due to which the anti-dengue campaign in Rawalpindi will resume after Eidul Fitr.

After four dengue patients were reported in Rawalpindi before the start of the holy month, the health department and the district administration launched the anti-dengue campaign on an urgent basis and issued orders to make new recruitments immediately. Now due to the Ramazan ration programme, the dengue campaign is constantly stalled, risking the dengue outbreak in Rawalpindi this year.

As spring has started, all small and large 55 cemeteries across the city have been filled with wild weeds and marijuana and in many cemeteries, the weeds have grown more than two feet tall. Due to the lack of spraying and harvesting, dengue larvae have started to breed.

The officials concerned have confirmed the presence and growth of dengue larvae in the standing rainwater in cemeteries, vacant plots and parks. Due to the continuous delay in the dengue campaign, the number of dengue patients is also increasing.

On the other hand, the health department has yet to allocate special dengue wards and medical staff in any government hospital in the city. According to the Department, dengue larvae have been recovered from 41 different places during dengue checking at the beginning of March. As the dengue campaign was stopped around 15 days ago, there is a possibility of an alarming increase in the birth and breeding of dengue larvae.

The dengue larvae’s birth and breeding usually begin on February 15 and the recent rains have sounded the alarm of a record increase in dengue larva birth and breeding. After the inclusion of dengue workers in the ration distribution, the anti-dengue meetings were not held in the Deputy Commissioner's office after Feb 29.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 23^rd, 2024.