PNS|Hyderabad
Raising serious concern over the rise in viral fever and vector-borne diseases like dengue in the Old City of Hyderabad, the Hyderabad DCC President, Sameer Waliullah, strongly criticised the GHMC’s ineffective monsoon action plan and the negligence of AIMIM MLAs and GHMC councillors.
In a media statement on Monday, Sameer said that despite the city receiving several spells of rain, the GHMC has not started fogging and spraying to control mosquitos.
He pointed out that the Old City is already a “capital of potholes,” where rainwater collects. The GHMC has also failed to remove garbage from many areas, he said. All these have resulted in the spread of diseases like viral fever and dengue. The Congress leader said that there is a significant increase in weather-related diseases in the last 8 to 10 days. The OP department of Gandhi Hospital has received over 2,500 patients, while the Osmania Hospital and Fever Hospital have also seen a surge in patients.
Around 600 to 500 people are being referred daily to the above hospitals with about 30% of patients at OGH suffering from viral fever. Most of these cases are reported from the Old City. He also expressed concern over the increase in dengue cases, saying that of the 120 cases reported in June at least 65 are from the Old City.
Sameer said that MIM MLAs and GHMC councillors have failed to do their jobs and have not made any representations to the GHMC officials to repair damaged roads, prevent the accumulation of water in potholes, or carry out fogging and anti-larval operations. He also said that no additional stock of medicines and testing kits are being supplied to the Old City.
He demanded that the GHMC should immediately undertake fogging and anti-larval operations and also called for medical screening camps, adequate supply of medicines and diagnostic kits in all Basti Dawakhanas and urban primary health centres, and an awareness campaign to sensitize people on the precautions to be taken to prevent of rain-related diseases.
