Sindh government's criminal negligence turns dengue outbreak into a nationwide health catastrophe

Sindh [Pakistan], October 30 (ANI): As dengue fever continues to claim lives in Hyderabad, social activists have demanded that the Sindh government declare an immediate health emergency and take decisive measures to contain the outbreak. The activists have urged the authorities to establish a dedicated dengue task force and provide free testing facilities at both public and private hospitals, as reported by The Express Tribune.

According to The Express Tribune, addressing a press conference at the Hyderabad Press Club, activist Imran Suharwardy, accompanied by Alhaj Gulshan Ilahi Qadri, Advocate Tahir Rajput, Advocate Zafar Arain, Nazish Fatima, Abdul Ghani Shah, Salman Zaidi, and Mukhtar Ahmed, revealed that 16 citizens have already lost their lives to dengue. They accused the Sindh Health Department, the district administration, and the municipal authorities of gross negligence, asserting that thousands have contracted the virus and hundreds remain hospitalised. At the same time, officials continue to conceal the real figures.

Suharwardy stated that "dengue has turned deadlier than Covid-19," citing the severe shortage of medicines and the lack of basic healthcare infrastructure in government hospitals. The activists also accused health authorities and private laboratories of withholding crucial data, leaving the public in the dark about the true extent of the crisis.

They further alleged that private hospitals are exploiting patients for profit, while corruption has paralysed Hyderabad's Civil Hospital. Even at the taluka level, hospitals reportedly lack proper facilities. The prices of medicines and essential medical supplies have doubled, worsening the burden on patients and families. Adding to the outrage, a special dengue ward established at Hilal-e-Ahmer Hospital in Latifabad Unit 6 was abruptly closed by management, despite the deputy commissioner's directives. "Hospitals are overflowing, and there aren't enough beds to accommodate patients," activists said, warning that the situation is rapidly worsening, as cited by The Express Tribune.

While families of dengue victims initially considered filing FIRs, they later refrained. The activists now plan to approach the Sindh High Court against the responsible officials, demanding a judicial inquiry commission, transparent data disclosure, and immediate action to combat Hyderabad's worsening health emergency, as reported by The Express Tribune. (ANI)

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