NOW that we have some respite from the Covid pandemic across the country, the dengue virus has triggered a new challenge. There has been a sharp increase in dengue cases in recent weeks. There seems to be no containment of dengue virus as major cities in Punjab and Sindh as well the capital city of Islamabad continue to receive a large number of patients on a daily basis, worsening the situation. Make no mistake, the fight is tough.

Sadly, preventive measures taken in this regard thus far represent a simple case of doing too little too late. The apathetic attitude has already claimed many a life so far. It started from Punjab, but, as the virus spread, it has engulfed Karachi and Islamabad as well. The situation in rural areas generally goes unreported, but it is a folly to assume that such areas would have remained completely unaffected. Karachi is in the grip of this dangerous virus as a number of dengue cases have been reported.

Will the provincial and federal governments remain engaged in dealing with political issues and non-issues, ignoring the vital concern of healthcare of the public at large? This is a critical question and calls for an urgent answer.

Hussain Siddiqui
Islamabad

Published in Dawn, December 2nd, 2021