All depts ordered to expedite anti-dengue activities

LAHORE
ADVISER TO CM on Health Kh. Salman Rafique has directed all the departments concerned that anti-dengue activities should also be accelerated this year like previous year and the weekly meetings of the Town Emergency Response Committees should be held according to the SOPs. He said though no dengue case had been reported in Punjab so far yet dengue regulations had been activated before February 15 in the province.
He said this while presiding over a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on the Anti-Dengue at the Civil Secretariat, according to a handout issued on Wednesday. Besides elected representatives, Secretaries of all departments concerned including Health Department, Additional Secretaries, senior officers and medical experts attended the meeting.
Kh. Salman Rafique said that if dengue larva was found, it should immediately be sent to Institute of Public Health for analysis and research. Member Dengue Expert Advisory Group and Associate Professor KEMU Dr. Somia Iqtidar told the media that the DEAG had imparted training to 624 doctors about the clinical management of the dengue patients during the current season and arrangements of providing trainings to new coming PG trainee doctors had been made on regular basis.
Kh. Salman Rafiq invited a special attention to the programmes of the public awareness for the eradication of the dengue and an vigorous awareness campaign through media. He said the recent rains could create conducive atmosphere to the dengue breeding, therefore people should pay attention to the drainage of water and cleanliness of their homes. He said that departments concerned should also pay attention to indoor dengue surveillance and monitoring of junkyards, graveyards, tyre shops and other open places. Kh. Salman Rafiq directed that special attention should be paid to the surveillance of the areas of Cantonment Board keeping in view the situation of last year in Rawalpindi.
Officers of departments concerned gave briefings about the steps and preparations of their respective departments for the eradication of the dengue.
squads: Environment Protection Department (EPD) Punjab has constituted nine squads comprising three persons for dengue surveillance in the provincial capital here Wednesday.
Each squad is dedicated for each town in the city and was given a new vehicle. These squads will ensure implementation of the Punjab government’s SOP regarding dengue and dengue larvas, said Naseem-ur-Rehman, a senior EPD official. He said Provincial Secretary EPD Dr Iqbal Chohan has also directed all district officers (Environment) across the Punjab to immediately start dengue surveillance in their respective areas.
Dr Iqbal said special checking would be made at tyre shops, junkyards, under-construction plazas and buildings and nurseries and a case would immediately be lodged against the owner in case the surveillance team(s) found dengue larva. He said initially notices would be issued for SOP violation while cases would be registered in case the violators didn’t change their ways.