PMA slams Sindh govt. over ‘man-made crisis’ as death toll from dengue climbs to 27

PMA criticizes Sindh government over mismanagement of dengue crisis as death toll reaches 27

KARACHI: The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) has strongly condemned what it described as a “man-made public health disaster” in Sindh, holding the provincial and local authorities responsible for the unchecked rise in dengue cases and related deaths.

According to the Sindh Health Department, the province reported 1,212 new dengue infections in the past 24 hours — including 765 cases in Karachi and 447 in Hyderabad — bringing the total death toll to 27 this year. A 30-year-old man from Hyderabad was the most recent fatality.

So far in 2025, Sindh has recorded 12,750 confirmed dengue cases. Currently, 257 patients are under treatment in government hospitals and 156 in private facilities. Karachi’s hospitals have allocated 256 beds for dengue patients, while 165 beds are reserved in private hospitals. The city has 34 dengue testing laboratories, including 12 run by the government and 22 privately operated. Hyderabad has 18 dengue testing facilities, with 7 public and 11 private labs.

PMA calls outbreak a man-made crisis

In a strongly worded statement, the PMA Secretary General said the ongoing health emergency was not a natural disaster but a direct result of administrative negligence, weak governance, and policy paralysis.

“The dengue crisis is not a natural disaster; it is a man-made tragedy rooted in systemic dysfunction,” he said. “The absence of political will to ensure sanitation, waste management, and timely, effective fumigation has turned our cities into breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Every death is a verdict on the failure of local government and the provincial health department.”

Systemic failures highlighted by PMA

The association detailed several factors driving the worsening dengue situation:

• Delayed and ineffective fumigation: Mosquito control operations were not conducted on time in high-risk areas.
• Collapse of municipal services: Poor sanitation, clogged drains, and uncollected garbage created ideal mosquito breeding sites.
• Deteriorating air quality: Ongoing roadwork and unregulated digging have worsened dust pollution, aggravating respiratory diseases like asthma and COPD. Karachi was ranked the fourth most polluted city in the world on November 7, 2025, with “hazardous” AQI levels.
• Flawed disease surveillance: Lack of coordination between public and private health facilities has resulted in incomplete data, hampering effective response.

PMA’s urgent demands for immediate government action

The PMA urged the Sindh Chief Minister and health authorities to take emergency-level measures, including:

• Declaring a health emergency in Karachi, Hyderabad, and other severely affected districts.
• Launching a coordinated vector-control campaign with expert supervision from entomologists and infectious disease specialists.
• Restoring sanitation and waste management services to eliminate mosquito breeding sites.
• Enforcing environmental health standards on all construction projects to reduce dust and pollution exposure.
• Ensuring free dengue diagnosis and treatment in government hospitals.
• Ordering an independent audit of the Sindh Dengue Prevention and Control Programme to identify administrative lapses.

A growing public health emergency

Public health experts warn that without immediate intervention, the outbreak could worsen with changing weather patterns. The PMA reiterated its solidarity with frontline healthcare professionals and called on the government to shift from “press statements to practical action,” ensuring that public health and human lives are treated as top priorities.

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