The outbreak of the dengue fever in Pakistan has affected several cities and towns. This year alone, 9000 cases have been reported so far. While the hospitals are at an alert to deal with patients suffering from dengue, the government’s arrangements to eradicate the disease are below par. There is a lack of seriousness from the government to control the spread of the fever. This lack of seriousness raises questions over the government’s performance in the health sector. The current fiscal year has brought on several health challenges that the government has not been able to manage effectively. Dengue erupts every monsoon season, and the government needs to be prepared to manage the disease and also ensure proper medication for patients so that no lives are lost due to the lack of medication.

In Lahore, 348 people have been diagnosed with dengue virus while in Rawalpindi the count has reached at a staggering 1971. In Bahawalpur, the reported number of patients is 11, in Attock, it is 12 and in Chakwal it is 13. In Gujranwala, the number of dengue patients has reached 6 while in Muzaffargarh it is 5. Dengue virus has hit Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) the hardest. The number of patients brought to the KP hospitals is increasing with every passing day. There are 2073 patients admitted to different hospitals who are being treated for dengue fever. While these numbers are growing every day within Pakistan, the efforts on the part of the government lack vision. In Toba Tek Singh, a deputy commissioner came up with a “wazifa” (prayer) to fight dengue.

In Lahore, the Deputy Commissioner Saliha Saeed has been dismissed due to the lack of control on the situation. It will take some time before the new person can take charge of the job, and by that time, the number of cases is likely to increase. Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza announced that a control and operation centre has been formed to deal with dengue. What the government needs to focus on is the provision of a vaccine for the disease. At this point, there is no particular vaccination available in the market, and that reduces the chances of people surviving from this fever. Health care services need improvement along with a comprehensive strategy that can be followed from district to district to avoid the spread of the virus any further. Awareness campaigns can be designed for residents to protect themselves from the infection. At the same time, diligent teams should be appointed to monitor progress daily.