KARACHI: Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) said on Wednesday that it was very much concerned over the unhygienic and grimy situation in the country, particularly in urban areas and specially in Karachi where sewerage water on the streets and roads, heaps of uncollected garbage and remains of sacrificial animals had become breeding places for flies due to which swarms of flies can be seen everywhere in cities covering fruits, vegetables and all other edibles in the markets.
These flies are spreading diseases rapidly. The diseases like gastroenteritis and typhoid are on the rise owing to the ugly situation, the PMA said in a statement today. The PMA said quoting a research that a fly can carry about one hundred organisms (bacteria and viruses) and can transmit the diseases mostly like intestinal infections (such as dysen- tery, diarrhoea, typhoid and cholera), eye infections such as trachoma and epidemic conjunctivitis.
The PMA said: “To avoid these diseases, people are requested to keep all edibles covered. Wash your hands with soap before eating. Avoid eating out these days. Keep your surroundings clean. Throw your garbage at proper places.”
The PMA alleged that the concerned authorities, who were supposed to continue the fumigation and cleanliness exercise throughout the year, had failed to keep the areas clean and to carry out proper fumigation, especially near hospitals, markets and at garbage dumping sites.
PMA asked the government to dispose of garbage and sacrificial remains on urgent basis, adding governments’ all civic agencies should at once initiate fumigation drive in their respective areas to overcome the spread of diseases.