Dengue, flood vigil: Students show support for the affected

Seek to spread awareness; distribute free mosquito repellent.

LAHORE: “We should focus on the miseries of people both in Punjab, which has been hit by dengue and in Sindh, which has been struck by floods,” Prof Haleema Sadia, the Punjab Group of Colleges (PGC) co-curricular societies’ chairperson, said on Sunday.

She was attending a candle light vigil at the Liberty Market round-about organised by the PGC to show support for those affected by the floods and dengue infection.

The vigil started at 5 pm and was attended by students and members of civil society, who held placards with messages of hope.

Prof Sadia said that the vigil also aimed at creating awareness about the infection. The participants of the vigil also carried a mosquito repellent that they distributed free of cost to passers-by.

Abdullah Malik, a lawyer, said that health care was every citizen’s constitutional right. He said government’s failure to act timely against dengue was a huge disappointment. However, he said that educated citizens could play their part by educating others about proper hygiene and encouraging blood and cash donations.

Shajar Abbas, the PGC Literary Society co-ordinator, said that after the vigil, the student’s planned to spread the word in their communities. “We have held dengue awareness programmes at our colleges. We plan to take them to another level,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 19^th,  2011.