Dengue, a mosquito-borne viral infection, is out of control in Lahore, according to reports in print and electronic media in Pakistan.

The city’s hospitals are filling up with dengue patients. Up to August 26 Lahore had 681 confirmed cases of dengue, which has now risen to over 1,800 in Punjab with over 1,600 in Lahore alone. The real number of cases is thought to be significantly higher.

On September 6, Punjab’s Health Department said that out of 1816 dengue patients, 1,763 have recovered while 53 were under treatment in various hospitals of the city. However, media reports paint a much more sinister picture of the situation.

Besides many other factors, including lack of awareness of precautionary measures, the increasing number of dengue patients is believed to be because of poor response to the situation by the Punjab government. One of the biggest parties in the country, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), which rules the province, came under severe criticism on Tuesday from the opposition party Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), which leads government at the federal level.

The Punjab government is being criticized for insufficient and ineffective anti-mosquito spray. While schools had been closed for the annual summer vacation and then Eid ul Fitr holidays up to September 4, campuses have now reopened. The government has agreed to carry out anti-dengue fumigation in schools and colleges amid rising concern among parents and students.

The sale of mosquito repellents has increased manifold, while the outbreak has proved a windfall for private health institutions. A report by Pakistan Today reads: “Dengue patients have resorted to private hospitals and medical laboratories for diagnostic tests and treatment being provided at exorbitant rates, as government hospitals have failed to provide adequate dengue treatment.”