RAWALPINDI: Environment and health departments on Wednesday found dengue larvae at 10 places, including Nawaz Sharif Park at Shamsabad and Nadir Cinema plaza in Satellite Town.

The health department teams visited different areas and found dengue larvae on Murree Road and adjoining areas, as well as at the children’s play area in Nawaz Sharif Park.

Executive District Officer Health Dr Zafar Iqbal Gondal told Dawn that the dengue larvae had been eliminated from the park site, while the play area’s contractor had been asked to adopt safety measures to prevent the dengue virus.

He said the teams visited different sites and carried out anti-dengue sprays near nullahs.

A list of sites had been prepared for dengue surveillance where rain water had accumulated on main roads and streets, he added.

On the other hand, the environment department found dengue larvae at six sites and lodged FIRs against five owners of properties.

District Officer Environment Mian Mohammad Nawaz told Dawn that the environment department teams had sealed two factories, commercial plazas and a tyre shop after finding dengue larvae.

Dengue larvae were found from a steel workshop at Khayaban-i-Sir Syed, a motor workshop on I.J. Principal Road, an ice factory in Dhoke Hassu, Nadir Cinema Plaza and Waqar Plaza in Satellite Town, and a tyre shop near the New Town police station.

Despite the presence of dengue larvae in different parts of the city, the government-run hospitals’ administrations claim that they have not received any confirmed dengue patients within the last 24 hours.

Holy Family Hospital’s Incharge Infectious Diseases Dr Javed Hayat told Dawn that three hospitals received some suspected dengue patients but they were discharged after their tests came out negative.

“At present, there is not a single patient admitted to the dengue wards of the three government-run hospitals,” he claimed.

Published in Dawn, August 7th, 2014