Dengue epidemic looms over Karachi as health dept sleeps: Altaf Shakoor

• This year so far 1998 dengue fever cases have already been reported from Sindh province.
• Overflowing gutters and garbage-filled sewerage Nullahs are the main source of spreading of dengue and other diseases, says Shakoor.
• He demands declaring a dengue emergency in the metropolis.

KARACHI: Dengue viral fever is on verge of becoming epidemic in mega city Karachi, but the health department officials are still in deep slumber, said Altaf Shakoor Pasban Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman.

Talking to a delegation here, he said a sharp rise in dengue viral fever cases in whole Sindh, especially in its capital city Karachi is very serious issue. He said the dengue crisis is looming large over Karachi, but the rulers are busy in mud-slinging.

He said this year so far 1998 dengue fever cases have already been reported from Sindh province; of them 1915 cases were reported from Karachi. He said this year so far eight people have already died from the dengue viral fever in Karachi. He said this data is issued by the government; however, the actual number of the dengue cases in Karachi is much higher as many cases go unreported or misdiagnosed.

Altaf Shakoor regretted that the megacity has become a hub of dreaded diseases, as not only the dengue but also the rising number of Congo, naegleria, malaria and typhoid cases is very serious threat to lives of the Karachiites. He said the concept of infection control has been forgotten by our health department, which is ironically being run by a lady healthcare expert Dr Azra Pechuho.

He said the public health engineering projects in the megacity are in limbo. He said overflowing gutters and garbage-filled sewerage Nullahs are the main source of spreading of dengue and other diseases. He said presently houseflies and mosquitoes enjoy the best breeding season of the year in Karachi, due to shameful failure of our municipal and healthcare system.

He demanded declaring a dengue emergency in Karachi and utilizing all-out resources to wipe out the dengue virus. He demanded to introduce a proper bio-control of mosquitoes and houseflies with engaging expert biologists and disease experts in this regard.

However, PDP chief organizer Iqbal Hashmi regretted that almost all slums and low-income localities of Karachi have been facing the worst sanitary conditions. He said stagnant gutter water is still preset in these neighborhoods, as after recent rains the municipal authorities failed to deliver. He said garbage hills, chocked gutter lines and lack of municipal services have further increased the danger of dengue epidemic in Karachi.

He said in government hospitals there is lack of proper facilities and poor patients face a lot of problems in their treatment due to rising prices of drugs. He said every year Karachi faces a dengue crisis, but the health departments of Sindh provincial government and KMC have so far failed to find a permanent solution to this serious healthcare issue. He said the city needs a robust cleanliness drive, an overhaul of failed sewerage system, grass-roots level fumigation and special dengue wards in all government run hospitals with facilities of free of cost lab tests and treatment facilities.