‘Dengue preventable, so don’t panic’

Islamabad : Dr. Hasan Orooj, director general (health) at the Metropolitan Corporation of Islamabad, has said dengue is preventable, so the people should not panic about it and should adopt ways and means to prevent it.

"People should install wire gauze on doors and windows, use mosquito nets when sleeping outside, wearing full sleeves clothes and use mosquito repellent cream during high peak season of dengue fever transmission," he told reporters here on Sunday.

The DG said dengue-causing mosquito bred inside and in the vicinity of houses in damp conditions, discarded drums, vases, buckets, earthen jars, old tyres, water jars, ant traps, coconut shells, tin, bottles, discarded boxes, clay pots, bamboo ends, rubbish and other water containers.

"Solid waste should be discarded because as they are the basic contributors of dengue spread," he said. The DG said under the directions of the MCI mayor, the Directorate of Health Services had been conducting activities in Islamabad to control disease at an early stage. "Under the directions of the mayor, we are intensely conducting a campaign against dengue fever within the municipal limits of MCI in the sectoral areas. In addition, we are working in close collaboration with the health ministry," he said.

The DG said the campaign had three phases, the first about the mapping of breeding sites and high risk areas and social mobilisation, second about the surveillance of vectors, destruction of breeding sites, Capacity building and solid waste management, and third about the evidence- based spray and fumigation, surveillance, social mobilisation and solid waste management. He said operationally, Islamabad was divided into four zones.

"The Health Directorate has completed survey of high-risk areas and mosquito-breeding sites and is continuously taking action at hot spots like streams, katchi abadis, schools, filling stations, markets, parks, tyre shops and cattle markets. For the survey of breeding sites, spray and fumigation, health Directorate has constituted eight teams each comprising four members," he said.

The DG said the Directorate of Health Services also initiated surveillance of vector and evidence-based measures in high-risk areas like katchi abadis/urban slums.

"Solid waste management should happen on a daily basis. Moreover, nullahs and streams need to be channelised by the CDA Environment Directorate along with the staff of Health Directorate for which instructions have already been issued," he said. The Islamabad mayor said no stone would be left unturned to support the Health Directorate and other formations for control dengue in Islamabad. He said there was no need to panic about dengue as the disease was easily preventable.