46 new dengue cases detected in KP.

PESHAWAR -- The health authorities detected 46 new dengue fever cases across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Saturday, officials said.

They said that of the 46 cases, 16 were reported in the provincial capital, which had thus far recorded 2,329 cases.

Breakup of the province-wide dengue cases given by the health department shows that Peshawar tops the list with 2,329 positive cases, Swat recorded 472 cases, Swabi 369, Mansehra 333, Haripur 222, Bajaur 228, Mardan 264 and Nowshera 179 patients.

KP has reported a total of about 5,835 dengue cases thus far. According to details, currently 168 patients are being treated for dengue at various hospitals in the province, while 34 patients were admitted on Saturday.

Official claims situation under control

The figures show that a total of 5,657 dengue patients have been treated and discharged from hospitals till Saturday.

An official said that the situation in the province was under control. He said that there was great follow-up after 2017 outbreak in the province due to which the situation remained in control in 2018.

He claimed that to some extent the health officials were reluctant to go outright against dengue due to overactive accountability bodies. He said that the officials feared that at some point in future they might face the accountability drive in case they behaved in active way even in good faith. He pointed out that the anti-dengue efforts involved purchase of insecticides in large quantities and in emergency situation it required quick judgment.

However, the officials are scared of being questioned for decisions they have taken in good faith, he claimed.

The official said that there had been no confirmed dengue-related death anywhere in the province and those claiming such deaths were mostly doing so out of greed for compensation money from the government.

He said that in last outbreak several...