Focal person appointed for Chikungunya control efforts

Mayor visits KMC hospitals to inspect measures taken to deal with the

outbreak; fumigation drive begins in city

The Sindh health department on Friday nominated Dr Masood Solangi, programme manager of Sindh’s Dengue Prevention and Control Programme, as the provincial focal person for Chikungunya control and management programme.

Dr Solangi has been tasked to coordinate with departments concerned and municipal agencies to effectively eradicate the vector responsible for the spread of the viral infection in the province, especially in Karachi.

The appointment of a new focal person was made by the health department after a delegation of the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) recent visit to the city to monitor efforts undertaken to deal with the virus’ outbreak. The WHO team expressed dissatisfaction over the health department’s performance, especially its Malaria and Dengue control programme in the province.

Thousands of people have been infected in the city since December 19 last year following an unanticipated outbreak of the Chikungunya virus. However, a lack of coordination between various health institutions, bodies and departments and concrete steps to deal with the epidemic has led to the worsening of the situation.

 

Mayor inspects hospitals

City Mayor Waseem Akhtar visited various Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) hospitals to scrutinise measures taken to deal with the Chikungunya virus epidemic.

He was accompanied by Deputy Mayor Arshad Vohra, Senior Director Medical Services Dr Mohammad Ali Abbasi, Senior Director Municipal Services Masood Alam and other officers during this visit.

Among the healthcare facilities visited by the mayor were the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, Gazdarabad Hospital, Spencer Eye Hospital and Sobhraj Maternity Hospital.

Speaking to media representatives during the visit, he said all the local government was taking all efforts to eliminate the Chikungunya virus from the city.

Bad sanitation is among the top reasons for the spread of the disease. However, the Sindh government was four months ago requested to have the garbage removed but it seems that city’s cleanliness is not the government’s priority, he added.

The mayor claimed that the hospitals were in a bad condition when they were handed over to the local administration, but claimed that their condition was being improved.

He further added that a fumigation drive was being carried out in and around the hospitals to control the spread of virus.

Akhtar said the municipal administration has limited resources but the condition of the hospitals has to be improved so as to provide citizens with better facilities.

The city council’s parliamentary leader Aslam Shah Afridi and chairperson media management committee Sabheen Ghori also inaugurated the fumigation campaign at a ceremony held at the KMC’s building.