Punjab CM orders boosting up anti-dengue campaign

LAHORE: Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar on Monday presided over an emergency meeting at his office to review the anti-dengue measures.

He expressed his strong concern over increase in number of dengue patients in Lahore and Rawalpindi regions and issued instructions for boosting up anti-dengue campaign. He ordered for activating anti-dengue brigade, saying that its vehicles should remain available on roads and spray should be conducted in areas where it is needed.

He announced conducting all dengue tests, including CBC in hospitals free-of-cost, adding that every resource would be provided for saving people from dengue. He ordered for running an effective awareness campaign about dengue precautionary measures and recruiting doctors, nurses and paramedical staff on emergency basis through walk-in-interviews.

The chief minister ordered for sending three mobile health units to Rawalpindi immediately and approved establishment of filter clinics as well. The meeting also decided to set up anti-dengue cell at CM Office.

The chief minister said that provincial ministers and assembly members would be assigned duties and they would monitor anti-dengue measures in red zones. He said that necessary steps should be adopted for treatment of dengue patients in hospitals.

The line departments and administrative officers should always remain available in the field in the unusual circumstances. Usman Buzdar said that dengue information counters should be set up in hospitals to guide patients and their families.

Similarly, private general practitioners should also be trained about dealing with dengue disease. He said that necessary medicines should be made available in hospitals. Along with it, tehsil and district emergency response committees should be reactivated and local notables as well as public representatives should be included in the committees.

He reiterated that dengue surveillance should be efficiently performed and disclosed that third-party audit of anti-dengue measures would also be conducted.

He informed the meeting that DCs of Lahore and Rawalpindi had been changed for failing to take timely anti-dengue measures. He said: "I will also monitor anti-dengue steps and practical measures should be visible in the field."

Punjab Ministers Dr Yasmin Rashid, Raja Basharat, Hashim Jawan Bakht, chief secretary, secretaries of health, finance, local government and information departments and others attended the meeting.