Anti-dengue efforts stymied by labour shortage

Financial crisis has prevented induction of 2,000 essential workers

RAWALPINDI:

The health department's efforts to address the early dengue outbreak in the Rawalpindi district have been severely impacted by a drastic labour shortage. Amidst the worst labour crisis in the sector, the department has failed to recruit 2,000 essential daily wage workers because of a severe financial crisis, resulting in the withholding of salary funds for these workers.

The crisis has further led to the denial of replacement mobile phones for damaged ones and the termination of free internet services for dengue workers. The health department's financial crisis has led to a deadlock, with workers' pleas for replacement mobiles and internet facilities falling on deaf ears. As a result, dengue workers are struggling to report their daily progress on official WhatsApp groups.

The Punjab health ministry has already rejected the department's request to recruit daily wage workers. Due to a severe shortage of daily wage workers, the health department has consolidated its workforce by merging teams from various wards and union councils to form a single unit to combat dengue. Instead of working in separate areas, all workers have been directed to work together as a unified team, focusing on one ward and one union council at a time.

In a revamped strategy to combat dengue, the health department has deployed a unified team of 30-35 outdoor workers to focus on a single union council and ward at a time. While female dengue patrol workers continue to conduct indoor searches, the outdoor team is intensively searching for and eradicating dengue larvae in under-construction buildings, water tanks, ponds, and standing water in the open. They are also provided with chemicals for the ponds.

Talking to The Express Tribune, anti-dengue workers have expressed concerns over damaged mobile phone sets, no replacements or repairs and a lack of internet to effectively carry out their duties to combat the dengue outbreak.