PESHAWAR: A petition has been filed in the Peshawar High Court (PHC) alleging failure of provincial health authorities to take effective preventive measures, amid the alarming spread of dengue and chikungunya in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The petition names the Secretary Health Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Director General Health, and Peshawar Commissioner as respondents. It calls upon the court to intervene, citing the growing public health threat posed by the unchecked breeding of mosquitoes due to poor sanitation and accumulation of waste in urban areas.
According to the petition, multiple deaths have already occurred due to the outbreak, and a lack of a coordinated response could lead to more fatalities. It argues that despite repeated public complaints, no serious actions have been taken by the relevant institutions.
The petitioner also claimed that the right to a clean and safe environment is protected under Article 9A of the Constitution, and urged the court to order emergency fogging operations, mosquito spraying campaigns, and free treatment for those affected by the diseases.
REPORTED CASES SURGE PAST 3,500
Meanwhile, the dengue situation continues to worsen across the province. The Health Department reported that the total number of confirmed dengue cases in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has now surpassed 3,500.
Earlier it was reported that over 70 new dengue cases were confirmed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in one day. A report by the Directorate General Health Services’ Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response System (IDSRS) said that 27 new patients were admitted to different hospitals in one day, taking the total number of dengue patients currently under treatment to 51.
The report said that, so far this year, 3,582 laboratory-confirmed cases have been reported across the province. Of these, 1,474 patients were hospitalised, 3,314 have recovered, while two deaths have been reported.
Provincial medical entomologist for the Dengue Control Programme Salahuddin Khan Marwat has blamed climate change as the main factor behind the spread of dengue and other diseases.