Despite the looming threat of Dengue virus, the Sindh health department’s anti-dengue control programme and the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) have not launched insecticide spray campaign as yet. The negligent attitude of the authorities is especially worrisome for the people of Sindh because the province is already grappling with Covid-19 and other seasonal diseases, including malaria, naegleria fowleri (the brain-eating amoeba) and the congo virus. The presence of the dengue virus has been continually reported in Pakistan since 2008. Every year, hundreds of people are infected with the virus and lose their lives. In sprawling, congested cities like Karachi, the dengue virus intensifies after the monsoon rains and continues to affect people from August to mid-December. According to doctors, when a patient suffers from bleeding and a drop in blood pressure, immediate platelets are supplied to save the patient’s life. To get the platelets from hospitals, patients have to spend Rs12,000 to Rs20,000. To top it all off, there is a shortage of dengue virus diagnosis kits across all government hospitals in Sindh, including in Karachi, while no provisions have been made for the supply of platelets. Garbage-filled nullahs have spilled over too, turning different parts of the metropolis into piles of filth. Medical experts viewed that if Karachi is not cleaned on an emergency basis, the onslaught of diseases could wreak havoc on people’s health. In sprawling, congested cities like Karachi, the dengue virus intensifies after the monsoon rains and continues to affect people from August to mid-December
