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. They have urged authorities to establish a dedicated dengue task force and provide free testing facilities at both public and private hospitals, 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, district administration, and municipal authorities of gross negligence, asserting that thousands have contracted the virus and hundreds remain hospitalized, while 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 unaware of the true extent of the crisis.
They further alleged that private hospitals are exploiting patients for profit, while corruption has paralyzed Hyderabad’s Civil Hospital. Even at the taluka level, hospitals reportedly lack adequate 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 directives from the deputy commissioner. “Hospitals are overflowing, and there aren’t enough beds to accommodate patients,” the 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 government action to combat Hyderabad’s worsening health emergency, The Express Tribune reported. (ANI)
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