Stagnant rainwater poses dengue risk

Several patients of dengue fever have been admitted to hospitals during the past week, triggering concerns that the disease may spread in the province after the monsoon rains.

During last 24 hours, three new patients of dengue fever were confirmed, including one in Lahore, raising the total number of cases in Punjab so far this year to 299.

The fresh cases have been confirmed at a time when rainwater is presents at various spots in Lahore and other cities. The local administration has also failed to immediately drain water from some dengue hotspots in Lahore and other districts.

According to officials, the district authorities in several areas have not adequately priotised the dengue eradication efforts in recent weeks.

After the recent heavy rains in Lahore and other area, the presence of dengue larva was detected by the surveillance teams, indicating the need for the provincial government to focus on protective measures.

Punjab Chief Mister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has also held meetings with the officials concerned but the anti-dengue activities have not been adequately intensified.

Rainwater could not be immediately drained out from various areas of Lahore and also from the playgrounds of hundreds of educational institutions in the province.

After the schools reopened following the summer vacations, students and parents complained about the presence of mosquitos on the premises.

One death due to dengue fever has been reported from a hospital in Rawalpindi during the ongoing year.

"This is the right time to launch a comprehensive anti-dengue campaign as ten hospitals start receving patients after the monsoon season and the coming three months are important. The dengue spread reached its peak during this season in previous years," said a senior Punjab health official.

The official said patients had started approaching the hospitals and the government should now focus on anti-dengue arrangements instead of organising meetings.

He said the authorities should focus on Lahore as it had bene the hub of the disease in the past.

Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Shaikhupura, Multan, Bahawalpur and Faisalabad districts also witnessed an alarming situation with respect too dengue fever last year.

The official said the government should put on alert the hospitals and administration of the major districts and intensify dengue larva surveillance after the rains.

Punjab Communicable Disease Control Programme Director Dr Yad Ullah said the provincial cabinet was regularly monitoring the anti-dengue arrangements and the chief minister was also making efforts in this regard.

He said the disease had reached 140 countries, but the situation in Pakistan was under control as only one death caused by the fever had been recorded this year.

Government took various steps in this season to curb the disease, including the appointment of focal persons in all educational institutions and issuance of a warning to all departments.

The health official said the authorities had identified with red signs on the doors all the homes where dengue larva had been found to intensify preventive efforts.

Health department spokesman Sayed Hamad Raza confirmed that patients of dengue fever had ben admitted. He said the department was making excellent efforts to handle the dengue situation.

"The arrangements at hospitals have been completed and we are hopeful that we will curb dengue disease this season through our steps," he added.

The Punjab government recently decided to train doctors to deal with dengue patients. Experts from a dengue advisory group will also give lectures to educate the people about the risk.