Minister stresses surveillance to ward off dengue

Dengue season on set

LAHORE: Punjab Minister for Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Kh. Salman Rafique has said that due to a change in the weather the dengue season has started, therefore, all government departments and agencies should be ready to combat dengue. He said that indoor and outdoor dengue surveillance and other anti-dengue steps should be taken according to SOPs.

He stated this while presiding over a meeting of Cabinet Committee on Dengue at S&GAD Committee Room, Civil Secretariat on Monday, according to a handout.

Besides, public representatives, Special Secretary Primary & Secondary Health and DGHS Dr. Faisal Zahoor and other senior officers of departments concerned and Deputy Commissioner Lahore attended the meeting.

Deputy Commissioners and Chief Executive officers of District Health Authorities of Sheikhupura, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Attock and Multan participated in the meeting through video link and shared information on steps taken to check dengue in their respective districts.

Additional Director General Health Dengue Control, Dr. Farrukh Sultan, gave presentation on the latest dengue situation in the province, training of doctors and staff, status of equipment, spray pumps, fogging machines etc.

He also briefed about the stock position of insecticides used in mosquito spray. Salman Rafique directed that a meeting of medical superintendents of teaching hospitals also be called to evaluate the arrangements for treatment of dengue patients in hospitals.

He directed to complete refresher courses for doctors and nurses of public sector as well as private hospitals on case management through Dengue Expert Advisory Group. He directed the officers of all departments that they should immediately inform the Cabinet Committee regarding their needs and requirements of financial as well as human resources for dengue control activities so that the finance and other departments could be persuaded.

He directed that special focus should be given on the surveillance of graveyards, junkyards and under construction sites to check the dengue breeding. The experts of meteorological department said that due to change in weather, the night temperature has reached up to 15 dengue centigrade which is very conducive for dengue breeding, therefore, concentration should be focused on vigorous dengue surveillance.

Salman Rafique directed that micro planning for indoor and outdoor dengue surveillance should be prepared keeping in view the previous years’ experiences and remove the flaws at operational level for better combating against dengue.