The Sindh government has allocated Rs480 million to 24 districts of the province for the purchase of anti-mosquito spraying equipment, given the spike in mosquito-borne diseases following widespread flash floods across the nation.
The provincial capital of Karachi, meanwhile, has received no funding in spite of the worrisome increase in dengue infections across the metropolis.
According to sources, Karachi's six districts have not been issued the funds to buy spray machines. Only DMC Malir has been allotted Rs20 million for the purchase of machines.
Sindh government spokesperson Murtaza Wahab said that Karachi already has a significant number of fumigation machines. The 30 union councils of the city are being daily fumigated with anti-mosquito spray.
According to a statement, Sherry Rehman, Minister for Climate Change, said there are 584,246 people in camps throughout the country. She underlined the need for the government to heed the issue as the health crisis could wreak havoc.
She added that so far, Karachi has registered an outbreak of dengue fever. The victims in the flood-hit areas of Sindh — with or without shelter — are feared to be at risk of being hit by another episode of misery, she warned.
Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said that 15,101 people have been screened for water-borne diseases in the flood-hit areas since the beginning of September. Of them, 3,072 were diagnosed with malaria, said Memon.
To a question about the prevalence of dengue virus in the province, the Sindh minister said 1,066 cases of dengue infection have been reported from Karachi, nine cases from Hyderabad, 11 from Mirpurkhas, five from Shaheed Benazirabad, and seven from Sukkur during the current month.
He added nine people, all from Karachi, succumbed to the infection.