PHC directs KP govt to tackle dengue outbreak on emergency basis

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Thursday directed the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to establish separate wards for dengue patients in all hospitals across the province and tackle dengue outbreak on an emergency basis through practical measures.

A division bench comprising Justice Qaiser Rashid Khan and Justice Muhammad Naeem Anwar directed the Health Department to take strict action against the laboratories involved in the issuance of fake dengue test reports in the province.

The court took up the previous year’s pending case about dengue and summoned director general of the Health Department, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and focal persons of the three teaching hospitals, including Hayatabad Medical Complex, Khyber Teaching Hospital and Lady Reading Hospital.

The DG Health Muhammad Arshad informed the bench that the total number of dengue patients had reached 1,600 in the province. However, the DG claimed that no casualty had been reported due to dengue fever in the province due to the timely measures of the KP government.

The official said that the government had started anti-dengue spray both in the dengue-affected areas and those areas feared to be affected by the virus. Justice Qaiser Rashid observed that it was the government’s responsibility to overcome the dengue outbreak through timely measures the previous dengue outbreak had caused several deaths and thousands were affected. He told the DG that it was his responsibility to establish separate wards for the dengue patients at the hospitals.

The official replied that the department had established separate wards for such patients and that satisfactory treatment was being provided to the patients. However, he said that there were some reports that substandard laboratories and health facilities are conducting dengue tests and advising medicines, against which the KP Healthcare Commission was taking actions.

Justice Qaiser Rashid observed that the KP Healthcare Commission was carrying out actions against the substandard laboratories and health facilities, which should be increased to nab the culprits, who are playing with people’s lives.

Additional Deputy Commissioner Mushtaq Hussain also apprised the court about the steps taken by the district administration for eradicating dengue virus. However, the court-appointed the additional deputy commissioner as focal person for dengue cases. He was directed to submit a detailed report about the dengue cases and government measurements for the patients and eradication of the virus. The court directed the focal person to submit a detailed report on October 2, the date for the next hearing into the case.