PESHAWAR: A Peshawar High Court bench on Thursday summoned an additional director of the Punjab health department, who is accompanying mobile health units from his province for testing suspected dengue cases in Peshawar, to update it on the mosquito-borne disease’s outbreak and inform it about the ways and means to make the KP government’s anti-dengue campaign more effective.

Justice Abdul Shakoor and Justice Syed Attique Shah observed that the dengue outbreak was a public interest issue and should not be used for political point-scoring by those involved in the disease’s eradication.

While hearing a petition filed by advocate Saifullah Muhib Kakakhel, who is seeking the court’s directives for the health department’s officials to take steps for the eradication of dengue, the bench observed that if the health units from Punjab had been functioning here and that they had the expertise in the field, the KP government should have officially availed its of their assistance.

The bench directed Punjab’s additional director (health) to appear before it in person on Friday (Aug 25) to explain how more effective steps should be taken for bringing the situation under control.

It also allowed an application of former president of the Peshawar High Court Bar Association Mohammad Essa Khan, who is a resident of Tehkal, the most dengue-affected area in Peshawar, and made him a party in the case.

A former MPA from the area, Ateefur Rehman, also turned up and said the Punjab government had sent mobile health units to the capital city on his request for testing suspected dengue patients.

He said the government officials had failed in performing their duties on the dengue outbreak.

Peshawar district health officer Gul Mohammad and deputy commissioner Saqib Raza told the court that the provincial government and district administration had adopted special measures for curtailing the outbreak of dengue fever.

The DC said measures were taken for creating public awareness of dengue and fumigation was being carried out in different parts of Peshawar to eradicate the mosquito-borne disease.

Advocate Saifullah said Punjab’s mobile health units had been stationed at a private hujra in Tehkal as the KP government had not been providing them with the official space and facilities.

The bench asked why the government had not been getting official assistance from Punjab’s health team.

The DC said the team had been functioning on its own and therefore, it could create a law and order situation and that it had been used to serve political ends.

Justice Syed Attique Shah asked the situation had deteriorated to alarming extent and provincial government should take serious notice of it. He added that it was purely a humanitarian issue and should not be turned into a political one as thousands of people had been affected so far.

The petitioner has requested the court that as interim relief it may direct the respondents to start fumigation campaign in Peshawar to save people from being affected by dengue and provide the infected people with free treatment in government hospitals.

Published in Dawn, August 25th, 2017