Commissioner Karachi, Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui constituted a committee to eradicate Dengue and Naegleria from the city. The committee comprises representatives from the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, Karachi Water and Sewerage Board, Defence Housing Authority, Pakistan State Oil, EDO Health Karachi Zafar Ijaz and Deputy Commissioners.
Presiding over a Meeting at Commissioner Office, Karachi, Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui expressed his dissatisfaction over efforts to combat Naegleria and Dengue in the city and directed all the concerned departments to speed up their efforts. He observed that no effective fumigation was carried out in Karachi over which the KMC and health department officials argued that it was not conducted due to financial restraints.
Commissioner Karachi directed all the departments concerned to form a joint strategy to combat the viral diseases after monsoon season. He also directed the Local Government Department to procure the kits and appropriate material on immediate basis and ordered their speedy provision to the DMCs and other departments concerned.
He informed that KMC Health Department, DHA and Cantonment Board has also carried out awareness campaigns for prevention of Dengue and Naegleria. However there were no banners displayed in the city regarding these campaigns. The decision was taken in the meeting to keep a strict check on tyre shops, nurseries, swimming pools and other places that could well be the breeding ground for dengue.
The Meeting was informed that three projects amounting 45 million rupees for dengue prevention have not been initiated yet despite their approval and amount sanctioned by the Sindh government in 2013.
Zafar Ijaz, EDO Health informed that 300 cases of Dengue were reported in 2014, while six of them succumbed to the disease, however, the figures were not authentic as they had no mechanism to collect complete data from all the Karachi hospitals.
Dr. Salma Kausar, Senior Director Medical Services KMC said that out of 765 water samples were collected from KWSB supply lines in which 583 were found with less chlorination. She informed meeting that 80 percent process for halting larva-cycle activity had been completed with the remaining completing soon, however, in case of rains the whole process could be affected.
Azam Khan KWSB focal person on Dengue & Naegleria informed that participants that KWSB had carried out chlorination in various parts of the city and the process was continuing.