CHITRAL: District health officer, Lower Chitral, Dr Haiderul Mulk has expressed his concerns over non-implementation of the standard operating procedures (SOPs) by the district administration for containing spread of Covid-19 in the high-risk areas as advised by the district health department.

In a letter addressed to deputy commissioner, Lower Chitral, Hasan Abid on Sept 23 last, the DHO said the Covid-19 positivity rate in Chitral was one of highest in the province for the last three months and the district administration needed to take steps for strict implementation of SOPs.

It mentioned that the health department’s recommendations for lockdown and SOPs implementation to the district administration went unheeded, as schools remained opened and people in high-risk areas were seen roaming without any check.

The government girls high school, Muldeh, has been cited as an example which, according to the letter, was found open though it was recommended for lockdown. It also referred to holding of soccer tournament in the district where SOPs were violated. It mentioned the markets and bus stands where restrictions were ignored by public.

When contacted, the deputy commissioner said the number of active patients in Chitral was quite low and the total number of deaths was only 21, majority of them in the age bracket of 70 years and above.

Mr Abid rejected the claim of health department about non-implementation of its recommendations for lockdown in certain schools and cited the example of FC Public School which was closed. He said closing all educational institutions was beyond his authority. He said the non-contact sports were not banned by the NCOC and soccer was one of them.

Meanwhile, the deputy commissioner told this scribe that junior section of Langlands School and College had been closed on Wednesday for 10 days after eight of its students tested positive for dengue virus.

Published in Dawn, September 30th, 2021