Health authority sacks 270 dengue workers in Rawalpindi

Officials say daily wage staff found guilty of negligence

RAWALPINDI:

The Rawalpindi District Health Authority has said it has sacked 270 of its daily wage workers involved in the anti-dengue campaign due to their negligence.

According to health authorities, the authority has completed the recruitment of an additional 1,500 daily wage workers for the same cause.

A high official said during the ongoing year, extensive efforts have been made in dengue surveillance, with 1.2 million houses inspected. Out of these, 2,501 homes were found to be breeding dengue larvae. Moreover, 321,548 open areas were checked, of which 615 were found to be breeding grounds for the dengue virus, he said.

In response to these findings, legal measures have been taken, including the registration of 56 FIRs, sealing of 69 buildings, issuance of 129 challans, and imposing fines amounting to Rs238,000 on repeat offenders who failed to rectify dengue breeding sites despite prior warnings.

District Health Authority Chief Executive Dr Sohail Ahmed reported that only four dengue-positive cases have been recorded so far this season, and all patients have successfully recovered after receiving treatment. Despite this positive trend, the anti-dengue efforts remain robust to address any potential risks associated with increasing temperatures, which could facilitate dengue proliferation. Consequently, rigorous measures continue to eradicate dengue larvae and prevent its spread.

A total of 2,773 daily wage workers, including both existing and newly recruited individuals, are actively participating in indoor and outdoor dengue surveillance activities. Priority is given to areas with previous dengue larvae findings from the previous year for intensified surveillance.

Dr Sohail expressed optimism regarding the current dengue situation, indicating that it may not pose a significant threat this year. Nevertheless, established committees at both tehsil and district levels ensure continuous monitoring and oversight of anti-dengue activities.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 24^th, 2024.