Dengue cases surge in Multan as lack of trained spray workers hampers response

MULTAN: Residents of Multan are facing a severe dengue outbreak, with the number of infected patients at Nishtar Hospital rising sharply. Hospital data shows a steady increase in both confirmed and suspected cases, while children remain the most affected in both urban and rural areas.

However, many citizens have rejected the hospital’s statistics, claiming that the actual intensity of the outbreak is far worse. They allege that hospital officials are deliberately showing lower numbers of dengue suspects and confirmed patients. Health authorities continue to struggle in their efforts to curb the spread of dengue due to a shortage of trained spray workers. According to citizens, the mosquito-borne disease is spreading rapidly in urban areas, leaving them with few means of protection.

Last year, the Punjab Health Department terminated over 700 trained dengue spray workers without paying their pending salaries. Since then, no effective alternative strategy has been implemented. The department has now reassigned staff from rural health centers, but a senior health official admitted that these workers are neither trained nor willing to perform anti-dengue duties. Nazir Ahmed, former council member of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, said the preventive measures were delayed, allowing mosquito larvae to spread unchecked. He warned that the dengue situation in Multan is “highly vulnerable.” Ahmed also claimed that many patients are unable to reach Nishtar Hospital and are therefore not counted in official data. No consolidated data is available from private hospitals, which he said are also reporting a fast increase in dengue cases.

Meanwhile, the terminated dengue workers alleged that the official numbers are understated and that the actual figures are significantly higher than reported. Hospital data reveals a gradual yet steady rise in dengue admissions. On November 1, Nishtar Hospital recorded only one confirmed dengue patient. By November 5, confirmed cases had increased to seven, with 13 suspects. On November 6, 19 suspected cases were reported, and by November 11, the hospital had 12 confirmed and 29 suspected patients. Earlier this year, the dismissed dengue workers filed a writ petition with the Lahore High Court’s Multan Bench, which reinstated them on August 10. However, the health department has yet to implement the court’s order, a delay that many believe contributed to the outbreak. The workers said they were terminated in late 2024 after filing a complaint with the Punjab Ombudsman over five months of unpaid wages. The Ombudsman ruled in their favor, but instead of receiving payment, they were dismissed. The workers called the action “economic murder.”

Syed Safeer Abbas Kazmi, Sajid Butt, Hafiz Waheed, and Fayaz Ahmed of the Dengue Employees Association said all 700 workers had been serving for a decade before their salaries were withheld. Despite court and Ombudsman rulings, the department has not reinstated them.

In response, Nishtar Hospital spokesperson Rao Noshad said the hospital’s data is accurate and not exaggerated. He added that, due to the growing threat, a high-level meeting was held under the chair of Vice Chancellor Nishtar Medical University Prof. Dr. Mehnaz Khan Khakwani and Medical Superintendent Dr. Rao Amjad Ali Khan. The meeting decided to increase the number of beds in the dengue ward from 22 to 40 and to expand anti-dengue spraying throughout the hospital, university, and hostels. Prof Khakwani also directed staff to ensure the availability of mosquito nets, ELISA and PCR kits, and round-the-clock medical care for dengue patients. The Nishtar Hospital has since intensified its anti-dengue campaign, focusing on larvae destruction and strict implementation of dengue SOPs, the spokesperson added.