LAHORE: The Lahore High Court has been requested to impose health emergency in Punjab to control the growing virus of influenza and to take action against the health authorities for their failure to control the virus. The Judicial Activism Panel (JAP), a non-government organisation, filed a petition through its chairman Advocate Azhar Siddique pleading that there have been evidences of the virus spreading all over the province.

He says over 100 cases of influenza have been reported in the province with around 30 deaths due to improper treatment at hospitals. He states the health officials commonly fudge or hide facts and the health coverage in the province is so low that many deaths go uncounted.

The petitioner argues the health department did not issue any warning to all government and private hospitals to get ready to fight influenza through proper medicine, vaccine or special safety measures.

He pleads the situation of the health department in Punjab is miserable as people cannot get free medical tests and medicines from public hospitals because the government used the health budget for Orange Line Metro Train project.

Advocate Siddique contends that it is also evident that the government has not initiated any effective campaign through dispatching information by electronic and print media. He says the government gravely neglected the principle that prevention is better than cure.

The petitioner argues it is a high time to free the health department from the clutches of political leaders and let an independent body like Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (Drap) control and regulate the sector.

He asks the court to direct the government to enforce health emergency in Punjab in order to control the wide spread of influenza virus. He also seeks action against the health authorities for failing to control the virus.

Published in Dawn, January 20th, 2018