Ample dengue medicines available in govt hospitals, says minister

LAHORE: Punjab Health Ministers Khawaja Salman Rafique and Khawaja Imran Nazir have emphasised that combating dengue is a collective responsibility of all stakeholders, not just one department. 

They made these remarks while chairing a crucial meeting on dengue, infectious diseases, and disaster management at the Civil Secretariat, on Friday. Khawaja Salman Rafique directed commissioners and deputy commissioners to actively monitor anti-dengue operations. He urged religious scholars to raise public awareness about dengue during Juma prayers and called for increased dengue surveillance in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, and Multan. ‘All departments must be mobilised at the district level to tackle the dengue threat effectively.

The health department is implementing a comprehensive plan to prevent dengue and other diseases, with the timely revamping of major hospitals being a top priority,’ he stated.To date, Punjab has reported 170 confirmed dengue cases this year. He also mentioned the availability of ample dengue medicines in government hospitals. Provincial Minister for Primary and Secondary Healthcare Khawaja Imran Nazir highlighted that future efforts would use existing resources instead of recruiting additional dengue workers. He called on citizens to actively eliminate dengue larvae breeding sites in their homes, stressing, ‘How long will teams continue to clean air coolers in people’s houses? Accountability for homes with detected larvae is essential.’He proposed the development of new strategies alongside traditional methods to combat dengue and instructed commissioners to oversee political leaders at the Union Council level in anti-dengue activities.

He also noted expected reductions in measles cases within weeks and emphasised the importance of vaccinating sacrificial animals in cattle markets against the Congo virus.The meeting included a detailed review of the dengue situation, with Secretary Health Ali Jan Khan providing an extensive briefing on infectious and epidemic diseases. Additional Chief Secretary Ahmed Raza Sarwar, various department secretaries, and all commissioners and deputy commissioners participated in the conference via a video link.This concerted effort aims to ensure a coordinated response across all sectors to effectively manage and mitigate the spread of dengue in Punjab.