Dengue larvae found at 3,004 places, fine in only 257 cases

Parvesh Sharma

Tribune News Service

Sangrur, November 15

Despite the detection of dengue larvae at 3,004 places in the district by the Health Department, the Local Bodies Department officers concerned have penalised merely 257 persons. Dengue is still spreading in the district and the official figure of patients is 1,378, but locals say the number of patients is much more.

“I know many dengue patients and in fact this year the number is still increasing sharply, unlike in the last years when the disease used to disappear with the start of winter. I do not agree with the Health Department figure of only 1,378 patients in Sangrur district,” said Sunil Kumar, a young dengue patient at the Sangrur Civil Hospital.

Sources in the Civil Hospital informed that even some doctors had also fallen prey to the disease.

“Patients prefer private hospitals over government hospitals,” said Kulwant Singh, another patient.

The official figures of the Health Department show that with 591 cases of dengue Sangrur block is at the top, followed by Longowal with 168, Malerkotla with 137, followed by other blocks of Kohriya, Sherpura, Bhawanigarh, Moonak, Dhuri, Fatehgarh Panjgaryan, Amargarh and Sunam.

“In total we have detected dengue larvae at 3,004 places. After the detection of larvae, we have written to the Local Bodies Department to penalise the persons concerned and till date total 257 persons have been penalised,” said Epidemiologist Dr Upasana Bindra, who is looking after dengue cases at the district level.

“I will write to Local Bodies Minister Navjot Sidhu about the lethargic attitude of his officers. Local Bodies officers must take action on the recommendations of Health Department to prevent dengue,” said Harpal Cheema, Leader of Opposition, who is also an MLA from Dirba.