KARACHI: The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) has called on the Sindh government to take urgent and concrete action to curb the ongoing dengue outbreak and protect public health from worsening environmental hazards in Karachi and other districts.
In a statement issued by Dr. Abdul Ghafoor Shoro, Secretary General of PMA (Centre), the association warned that the rising number of dengue cases and respiratory illnesses reflects a deep failure of governance and coordination between health and municipal authorities.
The PMA demanded that the government immediately direct all local administrations to destroy mosquito breeding sites and enforce strict environmental health standards — particularly dust and pollution control at civic infrastructure projects — to safeguard citizens’ respiratory health.
It also urged the provincial health department to ensure free and rapid dengue testing and high-quality treatment protocols at all government hospitals, without bureaucratic delays or shortages of diagnostic kits.
To restore public confidence, the PMA further called for an independent audit of the Sindh Dengue Prevention and Control Programme and municipal oversight mechanisms to identify those responsible for the negligence that has led to the current crisis.
“The people of Sindh and our overburdened healthcare workers are paying the price for administrative inaction,” said Dr. Shoro. “The government must move beyond rhetoric and demonstrate through visible action that citizens’ lives are its highest priority.”
