November 02, 2006	Thursday	Shawwal 9, 1427

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window).

LAHORE, Nov 1: Most of the district governments in Punjab have yet to allocate funds to launch fumigation campaign as a precautionary measure to check dengue fever. Official sources say EDOs (health) of 30 districts have shown concern over non-availability of funds for the purpose. Even the anti-malaria campaign in such districts has been abandoned for the last three years or so.

“Some three years ago, following the guidelines of the provincial government, all the district governments initiated anti-mosquito campaign only in areas from where complaints were received. The practice made district governments to stop making allocations in this head,” sources said.

After the breakout of dengue fever in parts of Punjab, the EDOs of such districts pressed their highups to allocate funds.

The sources said the health departments of these districts were seeking information from the city district governments of Lahore and Rawalpindi about the method of fumigation and the chemical used for the purpose. “Such districts will probably launch the fumigation campaign when the mosquito breeding season concludes,” they apprehend.

Surprisingly, except a few major cities like Lahore and Rawalpindi, the remaining district governments even do not have a full-fledged epidemic control cell. “No epidemic control cell means no budget for such campaigns and also shows the sensitivity of the governments towards issues pertaining to public health,” they added.

As such insects are breeding unchecked in ponds, drains and garbage collection places. Usually diesel or oil is sprinkled on ponds and drains to suffocate and kill the mosquito larvae by forming a film over the water surface.

Besides, vector control has also been gradually reduced, as the civic authorities did not increase the number of employees and financial allocation for insecticides without realising that the citizens could not control the breeding of the mosquitoes and flies outside their homes.

Insecticides manufacturers have been benefiting from the uncontrolled growth of flies and mosquitoes because the citizens can exterminate the insecticides only inside their homes. They cannot control their growth outside and have to use insecticides or electronic mats continuously to check the entry of insects in their homes. Mosquitoes used to disappear with the arrival of winter in the past but continued to bite the citizens throughout November.

Meanwhile, reports say that despite the provincial government’s claim no measures have been taken by the tehsil and district headquarters hospitals for the management of dengue fever so far. “Neither the doctors posted there are sensitized to the disease nor the hospitals are equipped to deal with it,” an official of the health department said.