Punjab health secy for EDOs’ role in Congo virus awareness

LAHORE: Secretary Primary and Secondary Health Punjab Ali Jan Khan has directed the EDOs Health of all districts to play their vital role in creating awareness regarding Congo virus among the people.

He said personal protective gears should be used by the medics in the hospitals while providing medical treatment to the patients of Congo fever. Ali Jan Khan directed that contingency plan should be prepared and implemented for dengue surveillance during Eid-ul-Azha holidays and surveillance according to the micro-plan should be continued in the dengue sensitive districts.

He stated this while presiding over a monthly meeting of all EDOs Health in the committee room of Directorate General Health Services Punjab, here on Sunday. Besides, DGHS Dr Mukhtar Hussain Syed, senior officers of the department, members of Chief Minister Health Road Map team, representatives of International Development Partners, Director EPI, directors of different health programmes and EDOs of all the districts attended the meeting.

Secretary P&S Health Punjab said primary and secondary health sector was being developed to provide quality health services at the grass root level authorities should run health education campaigns through all types of media at least till Eid to inform general public, traders and those who work at the cattle markets about and for this purpose revamping of district and tehsil headquarters hospitals had been started. He said district health managers had to work hard with more dedication for timely completion of development projects in their districts. He directed the officers to ensure medical equipment and machinery functional and for this purpose they should pay visits to the hospitals and health facilities regularly. He directed that special attention should be paid on the availability of medicines and cleanliness in the hospitals. He observed that attendance of the doctors and paramedics had been improved in the hospitals due to the biometric system. He said use of latest technology in the health sector had brought lot of improvements in making discipline, monitoring of working and transparency in the affairs of health facilities.

The meeting reviewed the progress of routine immunisation coverage under EPI programme, Chief Minister’s health road map team briefed the meeting regarding the availability of medicines, attendance of doctors, paramedics in the health facilities, they also informed about the performance of vaccinators, IRMNCH developments, functionality of medical equipment etc. It was noted that lot of improvement had been made in routine immunisation coverage and due to the better micro-planning and strategy anti-polio campaigns in the province had remained successful and Punjab, so far is a polio-free province.

The meeting reviewed the progress in development work in various projects in P&S health. The meeting discussed Congo and Dengue situation in Punjab and the steps taken to control these issues. Procurement of medicines, TB control, CDC, mother and child health and malnutrition issues were discussed in detail.

Dr Mukhtar Hussain Syed said prevention programme against diseases was being run in Punjab successfully and polio eradication campaigns in the province were fruitful as no polio case had so far been reported in Punjab which reflected the hardworking and dedication of the officers of the department and polio workers.