PESHAWAR, Dec 6: The World Health Organisation has warned of a possible surge in mosquito-borne diseases after torrential rains in the province, where six of the 31 suspected cases have tested positive for dengue fever, according to some sources.

Pools of stagnant water could turn into a breeding ground for mosquitoes, said the WHO. Kerosene oil should be sprayed on the water to deal with a potentially dangerous situation, said a WHO official.

He said that with the advent of winter the threat of dengue fever had almost subsided. But the situation had again turned for the worse after the rains.

The sources said that at a meeting held under the chairmanship of an additional chief secretary on Oct 28 it had been decided that insecticides would be sprayed in the high-risk districts and some diagnostic centres would be set up in the district hospitals.

An amount of Rs5 million had also been allocated at the meeting for purchasing the required equipment for hospitals. However, no action had been taken in this regard so far.

The sources pointed out that the latest case of dengue fever had been reported from Bajaur Agency. Thirty-year-old Fateh Said -- admitted to the Lady Reading Hospital on Nov 15 -- had tested positive for dengue fever.

“The government claims to have established centres in district hospitals for dengue patients, but no such facilities exist,” said one source.

Meanwhile, the provincial health department requested the WHO to impart training to doctors working in teaching and district headquarters hospitals.

According to an official, the WHO agreed to train 72 doctors from 24 district hospitals and 16 doctors belonging to teaching hospitals. Six doctors from health facilities in Fata will also be trained in Peshawar.