RAWALPINDI: The divisional administration on Monday issued show-cause notices to six civic bodies, including city and cantonment boards, for failing to take proper measures during the ongoing anti-dengue drive that resulted in an increase in the cases in the garrison city.

Reviewing the performance of the anti-dengue drive, Commissioner Liaquat Ali Chatha expressed displeasure over the performance of Rawalpindi Development Authority, Rawalpindi and Chaklala Cantonment Boards, fisheries, Auqaf departments, Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation and Rawalpindi Waste Management Company.

He issued them show-cause notices with a direction to improve their performance until the next week’s review meeting.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Commissioner Rawalpindi Dr Hasan Waqar Cheema, Additional Commissioner (Coordination) Syed Nazarat Ali, Director Health Commission Dr Rafiq, Director PHA Ahmed Hassan Ranjha, Dr Mujeeb Khan, Head of the Department of Infectious Diseases, Holy Family Hospital, and heads of other concerned departments.

The commissioner said due to the current rain spell, temperature was very suitable for the dengue spread, so we have to speed up the field activities.

“There should be no negligence in the treatment of dengue-affected patients,” he said.

He said currently we are going through the peak season of dengue and the most important thing is to take care of affected patients. He directed that the hospital administrations should ensure that doctors visit the dengue wards regularly and consultants personally visit the critical dengue patients at least three times a day.

He said we have made a plan to increase the capacity of beds in hospitals to 1,000 to deal with any unforeseen situation.

Mr Chatha said for the anti-dengue activities, we have taken on board the administration of Islamabad and both the cantonment boards so that none of the area is left unattended.

Giving a briefing, officials informed the meeting that 662 confirmed patients had been reported in Rawalpindi so far, of which 579 had been discharged after treatment while 83 were under treatment in different hospitals.

As many as 62 of the confirmed patients belonged to Rawalpindi, 17 were from Islamabad while the rest were from other districts. A total of 10 patients under treatment are in critical condition, but no death from dengue has been recorded.

The meeting was informed that during indoor activities 243 houses tested positive (larvae found) in the last 24 hours. Similarly, 29 outdoor hotspots turned out to be positive and the required action was taken there.

Taking punitive actions against the violators of dengue SOPs, 23 FIRs were registered, nine challans issued and one building was sealed.

Published in Dawn, September 19th, 2023