Concerted efforts stressed to control dengue

MKRMS seminar

LAHORE: Speakers at a seminar on Tuesday were of the view that epidemics could be controlled through concerted efforts by the government, institutions and community as dengue epidemic in 2011 was controlled through a herculean effort by the Punjab government.

“There is a need to create awareness among people about prevention of epidemics,” administrative, management and medical experts said while speaking at a roundtable conference on the topic of “Treatment of Dengue on Modern Lines” organised by Mir Khalil-ur-Rahman Memorial Society (Jang Group of Newspapers) in collaboration with Punjab Healthcare Commission (PHC) at a local hotel.

Adviser to the chief minister on Health, Khawaja Salman Rafique, said the Punjab government led by Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif had made a herculean effort to fight dengue epidemic in 2011 and managed to control it. He praised the media for playing a very positive role in ensuring concerted efforts at levels from government to institutions and community to individual level.

Secretary Primary and Secondary Health Department Ali Jaan Khan warned the public of imminent dengue threat which may escalate due to rains in the next few weeks or a couple of months. He said the government and people could prevent the dengue epidemic through proper planning to remove dengue breeding spots around our surroundings and within households. “Early detection of dengue can also help prevent its damage as it can be fully cured through timely treatment,” he added.

Punjab Healthcare Commission (PHC) Chief Operating Officer Dr Ajmal Khan said PHC had organised awareness seminars in different cities of Punjab and created awareness among doctors, medical staff and general public. He said PHC had also conducted inspection of about 150 hospitals in Lahore, Kasur, Gujranwala, Sheikhupura, Attock and other districts where dengue was likely to spread, and provided necessary training to doctors and medical staff with a view to enabling them to respond proactively against dengue epidemic.

Commissioner Abdullah Khan Sumbal said the Punjab government had adopted an excellent approach and planning to combat the dengue epidemic of 2011, which was an asset and can be shared and replicated to combat the dengue crisis anywhere in the world.

Prof Dr Qazi Yaqoob emphasised the need to create awareness among the masses to help prevent the disease. He said the symptoms like high grade fever and bone breaking pain appeared at least two days after mosquito bites. However, he said that the mortality occurred due to Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DHF).

Prof Dr Muhammad Ali Khan said that there were four types of dengue viruses, which affected only 5 per cent of the persons bitten by dengue mosquitoes. “The excess as well as deficiency of water in the body during dengue fever may prove fatal,” he added.

EDO Health Dr Zulfiqar Ahmad said that the Health Department was eliminating dengue breeding sites, which would help control the dengue epidemic. “We have eradicated dengue larvae from 55,000 breeding sites, registered 2,125 FIRs against violators and sealed 130 places,” he added.

Pakistan Academy of Family Physicians (PAFP) Dr Tariq Mahmood Mian said family physicians had played remarkable role in prevention, control and treatment of dengue fever during the massive dengue epidemic in 2011. “There were long queues of dengue fever patients in all clinics of family physicians,” he said, adding that had family physicians not there it would have been virtually impossible for the government to deal with the rush of patients.

Besides, Director General Health, Punjab, Dr Mukhtar Ahmad Shah, Director Clinical Governance and Organizational Standards PHC Dr Mushtaq Ahmad Sulehria, Director Complaints PHC Prof Dr Riaz Ahmad Tasneem, Director Licensing and Accreditation PHC Dr Riaz Ahmad Ch, Commissioner PHC Bushra Ijaz, PAFP Dr Aftab Iqbal Sheikh and senior columnist/analyst Munnoo Bhai spoke on the occasion. MKRMS Chairman Wasif Nagi moderated the roundtable conference.