KASUR-The negligence of the Health Department and inordinate delay in fumigation has given rise to mosquitoes and flies, raising alarm about the outbreak of dengue fever across the district.
During a survey conducted by this correspondent, residents of different areas expressed grave concerns that despite tall claims and hectic efforts by the government, dengue still has its roots in the district much to the apathy of the Health Department to carry out effective anti-dengue fumigation.
Praising Punjab Chief Minister’s effective steps for eradication of the disease, they said that earlier the government had allocated huge funds for elimination of the disease and in this regard, Sri Lankan experts’ services were also acquired. “Then all the departments were working under the supervision of Shehbaz Sharif and it was the hectic struggle made by the CM that dengue was almost eliminated from the district,” they said, regretting that now the situation has totally changed and the officials concerned have restricted the anti-dengue campaign only to advertisement and holding seminars and do not bother to come out of their air-conditioned offices to do something practically.
“It is due to rampant corruption of Health Department’s officials that the funds, allocated for fumigation and cleanliness across the district, are never used for the desired purpose,” they pointed out. They alleged that millions of rupees are spent on advertisement and seminars, organised to create awareness among the public to avoid dengue, but no practical steps are being taken to fumigate the areas to save people from this fatal disease.
They also criticised district administration’s incompetence, saying that the admin has failed to drain out rainwater accumulated in the grounds which, they termed, breeding-grounds of the disease-carrying mosquitoes. They informed that a dengue case was also confirmed in the district a couple days ago but the admin pressed the news and did not let it spread.
PML-N leader Ahmed Latif Ch and councillors including Haji Zulfiqar Kamboh, Asghar Ali, Imran Zaib, Waqas Abid and traders and religious organisations demanded the Punjab government to take notice of the situation. They also demanded to carry out an inquiry into delay in fumigation and usage of funds to ascertain facts.
When contacted DCO Ammara Khan did not attend the call despite repeated attempts and when a call was made to her office, the operator said that the DCO is chairing an important meeting.