Departments ordered to start dengue surveillance

LAHORE: Punjab Minister for Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Khawaja Salman Rafique has said that with the change of weather and increase in the temperature, the dengue season of 2018 has began; therefore, all the departments should start anti-dengue measures according to the SOPs.

The minister said that the dengue surveillance activities should be carried out in full swing. He said that anti-dengue campaign is being run for the last seven-eight years and now there should be no confusion to any department in implementation of the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for dengue control. He also directed that all the departments should send their demand of contingency staff to the government so that issue of human resource could not be faced in the peak season.

The minister expressed these views while presiding over a meeting of Cabinet Committee on Dengue in the S&GAD committee room in Civil Secretariat on Friday. Minister for Primary & Secondary Health (P&SH) Kh Imran Nazir also attended the meeting.

Cabinet Committee approved regularisation of contractual dengue staff. Kh Imran Nazir directed the department to send the case to the government for regularisation of the dengue staff immediately. Director General (DG) Health Dr Akhtar Rasheed Malik, Additional Director General Dengue Control Dr Shahnaz, CEO Health Lahore Dr Yadullah, Prof Waseem Akram, Public Health Experts, DEAG team, officers from PITB, Special Branch & other departments concerned were also present in the meeting, while the officers of other districts participated in the proceedings through a video link.

Dr Shahnaz informed that one confirmed dengue case from each district of Toba Tek Singh, Multan & Rawalpindi has so far been reported. On this occasion, Kh Imran Nazir said that vigorous awareness campaign against dengue is continued for the last eight years to sensitise the people regarding the preventive measures against dengue; therefore, the time has come that people should not wait for dengue surveillance teams to remove the garbage of their houses.

He said that people should own their responsibilities to remove stagnant water from their houses, cleanliness & disposing of discarded articles from the rooftops of their houses to check the dengue breeding. He reprimanded the CEO Health Toba Tek Singh on the insufficient steps taken for dengue control and directed him to appear in the minister's office in Lahore today (Saturday). Kh Salman Rafique stressed that a strong supervision from the administration of the government hospitals is needed to ensure case reporting and case management of dengue. He also directed that the workers of dengue surveillance teams must display their identity card issued by the department while visiting the houses.

Kh Imran Nazir directed all the CEO Health to ensure case response of suspected and confirmed dengue cases. He directed that red stickers also be pasted on the doors of such houses from where dengue larva is reported.

The minister directed the Chief Executive Officers of District Health Authorities to take personal interest in dengue control activities.