PESHAWAR: The failing state of the dengue prevention scheme in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) for yet another year shows that promises of curbing the mosquito borne viral disease in the province are mere lip service.
Despite the K-P government declaring five districts including Peshawar, Mardan, Swabi, Charsadda, and Battagram, as high-risk areas for the spread of the vector borne dengue virus, the display of inefficiency in fogging protocols alongside the severe shortage of mosquito nets, has multiplied the level of danger posed to locals.
“We keep calling the district administration for dengue fogging in our area, but they do not bother moving a muscle,” resented Minhaj Khan from Pawaka in Peshawar, who further added that the presence of a canal in his area acted as a breeding ground for dengue larvae.
Seconding Khan’s concerns, Shaukat Ali a local from the Tehkal area of Peshawar highlighted that apart from the absence of regular fumigation activities, no mosquito nets were available for the locals in his area.
“The provincial health department is arranging isolation wards for dengue patients in hospitals across the province but is turning a blind eye to the importance of preventative measures like fogging and mosquito nets,” opined Ali. –Agencies
