Dr Yasmin reviews measures to control dengue

LAHORE: Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid and Chief Secretary Kamran Ali Afzal chaired a cabinet meeting on dengue prevention at Darbar Hall Civil Secretariat here on Tuesday.

The minister and the chief secretary reviewed progress on anti-dengue activities. PSHD Secretary Imran Sikander Baloch shared details of anticipatory measures for dengue control.

The minister said, "The purpose of cabinet meetings is to review proactive measures to control dengue. All departments have been taken on board well in advance in first week of January. All commissioners and deputy commissioners must put in place necessary measures well in advance. We cannot afford spread of dengue in next season. All commissioners and deputy commissioners must comply with winter plan. DHA reported most cases during latest outbreak. The government will try its best to stop the spread of dengue this year. It will conduct third party evaluation of dengue control activities. Commissioners and deputy commissioners must ensure anti-dengue activities in new housing schemes.” Chief Secretary Kamran Ali Afzal said anti-dengue activities have to be carried out based on lessons learnt in last season. Larvacidal activities have to be under simultaneous focus with surveillance.

vaccination camps: The Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department (P&SHD) set up COVID-19 vaccination camps in Shiri Karishna temple and Gurdwara Dera Sahib in the outskirts of city on Tuesday where all the visitors were vaccinated. The Secretary P&SHD Imran Sikandar Baloch said the department is doing its best to facilitate everyone without any discrimination of religion, race or nationality. Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid has passed strict direction to maximize the reach of vaccination in phase two of RED Vaccination Campaign, he added. He said due to an extensive media campaign, 52 percent population of Punjab is fully vaccinated now and Punjab has gone far beyond the set target of last year.

MSDS: To ensure continuous improvement in the healthcare service delivery and implementation of the minimum service delivery standards (MSDS), it has been proposed that special units should be created in the public-sector teaching hospitals. This was discussed in a meeting held at the Punjab Healthcare Commission office here Tuesday, which was presided over by Chairperson Board of Commissioners PHC Prof Dr Attiya Mubarak Khalid, while the introductory remarks to the proceedings were given by PHC CEO Dr Muhammad Saqib Aziz.

The meeting was attended by KEMU Vice-Chancellor Prof Khalid Masud Gondal, FJMU VC Prof Aamir Zaman Khan, Children’s Hospital MD Prof Muhammad Saleem, Allama Iqbal Medical College Principal Prof Arif Tajammal, PHC directors and others concerned.

It was also proposed in the meeting that a new module, based on the MSDS and their implementation, be introduced in the training of the post-graduates of the teaching hospitals. Heads of the medical institutes and hospitals vowed to implement MSDS for further improvement in the healthcare service delivery.