KARACHI, Nov 1: City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal on Wednesday decided to cancel his all other engagements to give a boost to the ongoing anti-mosquito spray campaign under his personal supervision.

While changing the strategy, he also set up a central pool of all the spray machines and manpower of the city’s towns and issued directive for cancelling leave of health department staff.

All the 178 UCs were asked to keep their offices open round the clock and these were declared as emergency centres, complaint centres and camp offices where not only public complaints are be registered but guidance and information about preventive measures will also be provided to people.

Decisions in this respect were taken at a meeting presided over by the city nazim here on Wednesday. The meeting reviewed the ongoing fumigation drive and decided to make it more effective.

It was told that over 12,000 litre of insecticides were available with the city government for the spray whereas 1,000 kits had been procured for lab tests relating to the viral haemorrhagic fever. It was stated that if needed, more kits and insecticides could be purchased on a 24-hour notice.

Mr Kamal said that the city government helpline would keep five vehicles with staff ready round the clock to be despatched to an area from where a complaint was received.

Later, the city nazim visited the helpline – 0800-12012 – set up at the Civic Centre, and reviewed the arrangements.

He directed that in a narrow lane, where the spray-machine mounted vehicles could not enter, the spray be carried out into the alley from its corner.

The TMOs were told to submit complete reports regarding dengue fever cases within their respective jurisdictions so that a special round of fumigation could be carried out in affected areas.

“Spray will be done not once but a dozen times in a street, lane or area because a human life matters,” he added.—APP