LAHORE: All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) has written an ‘Open
Letter’ to Chief Justice Lahore High Court seeking attention of the
court on alarming situation regarding dengue fever in Punjab.
According
to a press release, APML in its open letter appealed to the court that
Chief Minister Punjab Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif who is also provincial
health minister should be summoned in the court and people responsible
for this dereliction regarding outbreak of dengue must be punished.
APML Spokesman Fawad Ch in his letter to Chief Justice LHC pointed out
that Punjab Government has been misleading the people on alarming
situation of dengue victims in the province and to keep low the
statistical figures of dengue affectees, patients are not being
admitted in governmental hospitals that has also raised the intensity
of casualties. According to Punjab government, there are 1,960 dengue
victims in the province whereas as per media reports, there are more
than 2000 registered family physicians and 100 private hospital only in
Lahore city that were also providing medical treatment to dengue
patients but Punjab government has not been considering those patients
in its statistical figures. As per medical experts, approximately
these registered family physicians and private hospitals are providing
almost 70 percent health facilities in the province. It has also been
mentioned in the ‘Open letter’ that Punjab Chief Minster Mian Shahbaz
Sharif has assumed the responsibilities of 14 ministries including
health ministry and it is impossible for him to make justice with
day-to-day affairs of these ministries and due to his obstinate
attitude he has put the lives of millions of people at stake that is
complete violation of section-9 of the constitution. Dengue fever has
turned into an epidemic in Punjab and this alarming situation is not
very different from the issue prevailing in Karachi. As the apex court
is already engage in Karachi issue and dengue outbreak is totally
provincial matter, therefore it is appealed to Chief Justice Lahore
High Court to take suo moto on this issue and summon Chief Minister
Punjab, Secretary health and DG health to seek explanation how dengue
victims strength has reached alarming level. APML’s ‘Open Letter’
readout the dengue situation as administrative failure and
constitutional breakdown and appealed the court to seek explanation
from Chief Minister Punjab why dengue victims were not being admitted
in governmental hospitals or did the governmental hospitals have
equipment to tackle this epidemic. Online
