RAWALPINDI: The arrival of new dengue cases in three government hospitals set alarm bells ringing in the health department with the provincial government asking for measures to avoid the spread of the virus.

As many as 10 dengue patients have been reported in the three hospitals of the garrison city in July, taking the tally to 21 in the current season which usually starts in March. In June, seven cases had been reported from different parts of the city.

Holy Family Hospital, Benazir Bhutto Hospital and the District Headquarters Hospital have activated their dengue wards to deal with the cases.

Rawalpindi Medical University Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Mohammad Umer asked the hospitals to make arrangements for medicines.

A senior official of the district administration told Dawn that three patients reported in the hospitals with the gap of nine days while two patients arrived with a gap of six days. Three more cases were reported with a gap of three days and now daily one case is being reported from the city area.

He said during the anti-dengue drive, 4965 dengue larvae were found in different parts of the city from June 18 to July 18. These areas were: Pirwadhai, where larvae were found in 217 spots, Dhoke Mangtal (214), Satellite Town D-Block (213), Chak Jalaldin (283), Girja (279), Dhaman Syedan (49), Dhoke Munshi (245), Dhamial (182) and cantonment areas on Peshawar Road (471).

He said in 2021 only two dengue cases had been reported in the district till July 18, in 2022 the number increased to 13 patients. He said experts had warned that the summer started late in the Potohar region and rains occurred even in May and June which created an environment for the breeding of the dengue larvae.

He said the provincial government had asked for working hard to stop spreading dengue virus. The district administration has directed the civic bodies to take action against tyre shops, junkyards and clear graveyards from shrubs but, apparently, the civic bodies, including the Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation and the environment department, were not working properly.

He said under the standard operating procedure (SOP), fogging would be held in areas where dengue cases are reported and experts stop using excessive medicines which will be harmful for the environment. However, he said there was a dire need to spray anti-dengue medicines in low-lying areas, especially after rains.

Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner Hasan Waqar Cheema said the district administration was continuing efforts to stop the spread of dengue virus but it was impossible to tackle it without public cooperation.

He said the ongoing campaign against dengue should be sped up and the dengue affected areas should be completely swept and sprayed with anti-dengue medicines.

He said all officers should make anti-dengue activities more effective by making field visits. The Punjab government is following a zero tolerance policy regarding dengue virus and, in this regard, the negligence of any official will not be tolerated.

He expressed these views while presiding over an anti-dengue meeting at his office.

The deputy commissioner appealed to the citizens to keep their houses clean, cover water collected for consumption and educate others on preventive measures against dengue.

Published in Dawn, July 19th, 2023