dengue virus

KARACHI: City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal has urged the City Council members as well as citizens to launch a coordinated campaign to make Karachi neat and clean in order to fight dengue virus once for all.

Addressing the City Council session, presided by Naib Nazim Nasreen Jalil here on Thursday, he said: “We should start working right from today on the slogan ‘neat and clean Karachi’ as like educated Punjab”.

The Nazim gave a special address to apprise City Council members as to what measures are being taken by the government as well as future line of action in this regard.

Mustafa said a toll free number 0800- 12012 has been provided where dengue virus complaints can be registered following which fumigation would be carried out.

The town health officers have been assigned the task to collect area-wise data of patients so that the effected areas could be fumigated on priority, he added.

Elaborating the measures taken to prevent dengue virus epidemic, Mustafa said two rounds of insecticide spray haveº already been completed in the city and a fleet of 50 machines was being used in each town.

Mustafa said these machines have been acquired by the city government from town Nazims on temporary basis and the entire fumigation process would be completed in nine days.

He assured the house as well as the citizens that this campaign would not be terminated till this virus was completely eliminated from the city.

Mustafa said the city government was obviously carrying

out fumigation outside the houses, adding, it was also the responsibility of the citizens to tap all the leakages in their houses as this mosquito breeds in clean water and not in dirty or filthy water.

He once again announced that tests of dengue virus were being carried out free of cost at Abbasi Shaheed and New Karachi hospitals. Referring to blood transfusion, he said the City District Government Karachi would be bearing 50 percent of the payment besides the provincial government has now agreed to pay the rest of the amount, so Mustafa claimed blood transfusion for such virus carrier would also be free of cost.

“This is a curable disease and not a fatal or contiguous one but preventive measures have to be taken at all costs,” he said and warned that the use of anti-biotic further worsens a patient’s condition.

Mustafa further said that the most concerning aspect was that this mosquito would multiply within short span of time and the dengue virus threat would aggravate next year, he warned, adding: “let’s turn this threat into an opportunity by pledging to launch a campaign to make Karachi neat and clean”.

He also urged the councilors to strengthen his hands and create awareness among the citizens in this regard

On the occasion, opposition members appreciated the measures taken by City Nazim to curb dengue virus threat. Sheikh Mehboob-ur-Rehman said: “we are part of your army and will continue to extend such cooperation if it is for the betterment of the city”.

He particularly mentioned Rs 96 lacs handed over to 178 union councils.

The opposition members underlined the need for forging close cooperation and coordination with Nazim, to which he assured all out cooperation within the ambit of law.