TIB sees foul play behind dengue outbreak

Transparency International Bangladesh held irregularities in adulticide procurements and mismanagement in stamping out aedes mosquitoes responsible for this year’s unprecedented dengue outbreak in Bangladesh.

A study report released by TIB at a press conference at its office in the capital, said that mostly ad-hoc steps were taken by the authorities to control aedes mosquito.

It said that the steps showed lack of planning and corruption in the process.

TIB said that it carried out the study from August  20 to September 20.

It said that the authorities made mistakes in  anticipating massive aedes mosquito breeding  and paid no heed to the warnings given by the ICDDR,B and the Disease Control Wing of the Health Services.

The authorities also paid no attention to the warnings that ineffective adulticide  were used to control the dengue virus carriers.

The city corporations took no plans to control mosquitoes from the environmental angle but only used ineffective adulticides to fumigate the roads.

Audulticide application was less effective than larvicide but the city corporations were more interested in procurements to misuse funds,  TIB study said.

It said irregularities were visible in purchasing adulticide and fogging machines as they did not follow the purchase rules.

Flawed tendering process and procurements by passing the tender process were resorted to for obvious corruption, it said.

TIB said about 40 per cent funds of the Dhaka South City Corporation were misappropriated during adulticide procurements.

TIB executive director Iftekharuzzaman said that the authorities took steps as eyewash.

No complete picture of dengue menace was identified by the authorities, nor it took timely action to control aedes mosquito and prevent the dengue outbreak.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net