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Centre, provinces ensuring coordination to curb dengue: PM's Special Assisstant

Centre, provinces ensuring coordination to curb dengue: PM's Special Assisstant

By APP
September 22, 2019
Dr.Zafar Mirza. File photo

ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to Prime Minister on National Health Services Dr.Zafar Mirza has said that federal government has joined hands with provinces to curb dengue outbreak.

He said the centre and the provinces  were ensuring coordination and making concerted efforts  in order to  prevent dengue.

Also read: What is dengue, and why is it so widespread this year?

Addressing a press conference  on Sunday, Dr.Zafar Mirza said Dengue Control Operational Center has been set- up in Islamabad which would  review the dengue related situation on a daily basis across the country and take steps to control it.

He said two hotlines with contact numbers (051-9212601 and 9216890) would work round the clock and  doctors would respond to the dengue related queries to general public.

The Special Assistant said there were 10,013 dengue patients at present in the country out of which 2,363 were in Punjab, 2,258 in Sindh, 1,814 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 1,772 in Balochistan.

"In the past, there had been double patients as compared to this figure but our whole concentration at present was to check its outbreak rather than doing politics.

During the last 48 hours, maximum patients suffering from dengue were identified and this number may increase in coming 7-10 days.

It was our responsibility to suggest preventive measures to the people and special hotlines have been set up for the same, he said adding that 70 percent dengue patients in Punjab reported from Potohar region.

Dr.Zafar Iqbal Mirza said special study or research would be conducted in the coming days to find out why dengue spread out in this region.

He said an Emergency Centre had been established at National Institute of Health (NIH) ten days before and the entire statistics, also available on NIH website, were being compiled on the daily basis.

Keeping in view the possible increase in number of dengue patients, the Special Assistant to Prime Minister said owners of private hospitals in Islamabad were contacted and they have assured the government of  providing a total of 1000 beds in their hospitals in case of capacity issue in the government hospitals.

The treatment at these private hospitals would be free of cost, he said and thanked the management of private hospitals over this gesture.

Moreover, he said 16 Basic Health Units in Islamabad have been functional and trained doctors were providing treatment to dengue and other patients.

He asked the people to visit these units for carrying out tests following which the medical staff would guide them to visit nearest hospital in case of any issue is found.

He said that health department has been fumigating the most affected areas while federal government was in coordination with provincial governments to curb dengue outbreak and provide health facilities to dengue patients.

With possible increase in number of patients in the coming days, he said the situation would be in complete control till the end of this month.

To a question, the Special Assistant to prime minister said there was lack of rabies vaccine in the country.

He said the production of vaccine at NIH would be doubled in coming years.

He lamented over non-production of around 900,000 doses in the country during previous tenures and assured that the incumbent government would take steps in this regard.