Fatal spray

The effort to control the dengue mosquito has led to near tragedy in at least two girls’ schools in Punjab. Last week, over 130 girls at Jand Government Girls High School in Attock district had to be taken to hospital after they complained of being unable to breathe following spraying at their school. A day later an almost identical incident took place at a government girls’ school at Domeli in Jhelum district where around 60 girls had to be hospitalised after a similar fumigation exercise. Following these incidents, Punjab Education Minister Rana Mashhood promised a thorough investigation. The Punjab chief minister, meanwhile, has suspended the DCOs, the Health EDOs and other officials in both Jhelum and Attock. District-level officials are also blaming the principals of the schools who had the spray carried out without taking proper precautions. It is logical that protecting the health of pupils should have been top priority.

The indications, however, are that the principals have been placed under severe pressure to carry out the fumigation campaign within a specific deadline. This rushed approach may have led to the mishap with dozens of girls still under treatment at hospitals. It is also significant that the health secretary has said that the spray used at the schools contained dangerous chemicals, which should not have been present in any material used in public spaces. This appears to have been overlooked. We need to investigate why inferior spray containing dangerous toxins was provided to the schools and why proper instructions were not given as to its use. Blaming a school principal is an easy way out for district officials. But when it comes to drives to save humans from health hazards, it is the government which must take responsibility and ensure schoolchildren are protected at all costs. The way the entire matter has played out, it gives the impression that the spray has caused more damage than the dengue virus itself. This extreme negligence deserves to be fully investigated. Too many people have been affected and this should never have happened.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 15^th, 2015.

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