Mayor declares emergency to curb dengue

LAHORE:Lord Mayor Mubashar Javed has declared emergency in the provincial metropolis to curb dengue. He announced this while addressing ‘Meet The Press’ programme held at Lahore Press Club here on Thursday. President Lahore Press Club Arshad Ansari, Secretary Zahid Chaudhary and other journalists were present.

He said local body representatives had been facing the wrath of PTI government for the last 19 months due to suspension of Local Government Act 2013. He said the government had sought delimitation before December which was not possible.

“Election commission’s officials have told me that the delimitation process required at least four months,” he added. The lord mayor said soon after restoration, LG representatives had come into action to resolve issues of their voters. “We have launched a campaign against dengue and in this regard and I am going to declare an emergency under which dengue mosquito spray and machines will be procured,” he said. He added that for the campaign he had contacted the health minister that how local body representatives could help the health department.

Mubashar Javed said that the local government system was the real spirit of democracy because masses have access to their representatives at their doorsteps. “We are real representatives of people while the parliamentarians are chosen to make legislations,” he said, adding in absence of people’s representatives Lahore’s condition had been made awful.

He continued that before suspension of the LG Act 2013, different development schemes worth of rupees 100 million were sent for approval but they all were cancelled with the suspension of Act.

“Due to delay in execution of such development works, now their cost has doubled,” he said, adding roads infrastructure had broken, streets were without lights while sewage systems also had collapsed. “Now after assuming office, my top priority will be to install street lights on an urgent basis and for which directions have been issued to the authorities,” the mayor said.

Two die, 539 new dengue cases: Dengue claimed two lives while 539 new confirmed cases have been reported during the last 24 hours across the province. This was stated by Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department (P&SHD) Secretary Imran Sikandar Baloch here on Thursday. According to a statement issued, 423 dengue fever cases were reported from Lahore. So far this year, 12,224 confirmed cases of dengue have been reported across the province, while 8,203 confirmed cases of dengue have been reported from Lahore, he added.

A total of 2,321 patients were admitted across Punjab out of which 1,367 patients were admitted in hospitals of Lahore, while 954 patients were admitted in hospitals of other cities of Punjab. While talking about the availability of beds for dengue patients in hospitals of Punjab, Health Secretary Imran Sikandar Baloch said that 4,927 beds were currently allocated for dengue in hospitals across Punjab. In last 24 hours 423,583 indoor locations and 100,498 outdoor locations were checked across the Punjab while larvae were destroyed from 1,703 locations. In Lahore, 65,974 indoor places and 1,170 outdoor places were checked for dengue larvae and destroyed.