LAHORE  - The Lahore High Court adjourned till February 11, the hearing of an application seeking action against the Punjab government for its failure to control the dengue outbreak, for final arguments here on Monday.
Dr Jafar Ilyas, additional director general of health services, Punjab appeared in the court and submitted a report on behalf of the provincial government.
He said Punjab Government imported the medicines which were duly approved by World Health Organization. He said no spurious, unapproved or expired medicines were used.
He said because of steps of the health department, deaths because of dengue were reduced if not controlled completely.
He said they were struggling to fully control the epidemic and in soon they would be successful in this regard.
The petitioner submitted that the government was making false claim and had miserably failed to contain the disease as still people were dying of it. He submitted that the dengue outbreak might start again at any movement but the government had not taken any conclusive precautionary steps to stop dengue growth. He stated that if timely action was not taken a large number of people could lose their lives.
He said because to poor arrangements of the government last year, many deaths took place due to dengue. He said this year on February 22 it was disclosed that the dengue has started affecting people in Lahore but the government remained idle.
He submitted that deaths due to dengue were increasing day by day. He said the provincial government and its departments concerned miserably failed to control dengue and even substandard medicines were sprayed to control it.
He alleged that millions of rupees had been embezzled in purchase of anti-dengue medicines from January 2012 to September 2013. He also alleged that the department officials and some government high ups also involved in purchase of substandard and expired anti-dengue medicines.
He requested to issue directions to the provincial government to hold a transparent inquiry against officials involved in the embezzlement.