RAWALPINDI: As many as 64 suspected patients of dengue were reported during Ramazan in seven tehsils of Rawalpindi district, including 45 in Holy Family Hospital and District Headquarters Hospital.

The district health authority found dengue larvae in 148 houses and commercial outlets of the cantonment and other tehsils. According to a report presented to Commissioner retired Capt Mohammad Mehmood, the health authority’s teams visited houses, commercial areas and found dengue larvae in 61 different places in Potohar Town, 47 in Rawal Town, seven in Chaklala Cantonment, 22 in Rawalpindi Cantonment, three in Kahuta and eight in Taxila.

However, none were found in Gujar Khan, Kallar Syedan, Kotli Sattian and Murree.

An anti-dengue drive was launched and the teams found dengue larvae mostly in houses, the report stated, adding that there are a total of 6,884 hotspot areas in the district; 75pc of them are so far clean but more than 2,139 areas that were hotspots last year, are yet to be visited by health authority teams including junkyards, graveyards and tyre shops.

Health experts said the drive would speedup in city and cantonment areas before monsoon begins. During rainy days, dengue larvae might multiply and it is necessary to pay attention to low-lying areas, especially along Leh Nullah and other drains in city and cantonment areas, they added.

Mr Mehmood has directed civic bodies to finish clean-up activities in hotspot areas.

He said: “There is a dire need to start combined efforts, in the coming days to eliminate chances of spread ofdengue, in the district. Civic bodies will create awareness among people about cleanliness of their environment and a campaign in this regard, willbe launched soon.”

Under-construction buildings should be checked thoroughly as dengue larvae are found in these areas.

Commercial markets and mosques will be included in visits of the health department teams, so these premises could be saved from dengue mosquitoes, he added.

Published in Dawn, May 14th, 2020