Supply of flu medicines discussed

LAHORE

The measures to control H1N1 remained in spotlight in the monthly Executive District Officers' (H) meeting at the Directorate General Services on Saturday.

Adviser to Chief Minister on Health Khawaja Salman Rafique chaired the meeting with Secretary Primary and Secondary Healthcare Ali Jan Khan and Director General Health Services Punjab Dr. Amjad Shahzad present as co-chairs. Besides EDOs (H) of Punjab’s 36 districts, chief minister roadmap team, Punjab information technology board, policy and strategic planning unit, programme managers, Unicef, WHO and international development partners attended the meeting.

The secretary directed that swift response be ensured for supply of curative medicines for H1N1 flu. DG Health Dr. Amjad Shahzad said adequate stock of Tamiflu tablets were available with the DG office and directed the districts to keep continuously in touch with the CDC. It was also announced that the staff engaged in the treatment of H1N1 would be completely vaccinated. The EDOs (H) were asked to submit the list of staff deputed for the same.

Director EPI Dr. Munir Ahmed asked the EDOs (H) to engage the newly elected Local Governments' representatives for support in the PEI/EPI activities. He said that following lab confirmation of polio case in Rahimyar Khan, case response would be conducted from 27-29 January in Districts Rahimyar Khan, Rajanpur, Dera Ghazi Khan and Tehsil Ahmadpur Sharqia of District Bahawalpur. He said as part of global switch from tOPV to bOPV, districts must ensure utiliation of tOPV stock by March and submit forms filled by the laboratories (public & private sector) regarding the unavailability of any material having P2 virus. He stressed that prime importance be given to register, map and vaccinate migrant/mobile children against polio and other VPDs.

The chief minister roadmap team shared data analysis on staff presence, biomatric attendance, hospital cleanliness, medicines' availability and stock/supplies situation, safe deliveries with an overall EDOs scorecard. It was shared that disciplinary action woud be taken on unauthorised leave and for not ensuring hospital cleanliness.

The chair also reviewed data on sanitation and hygiene situation in different districts. It was also announced that the Punjab had started a new surveillance on deaths related to mother and neonatal tetanus and a mechanism for the same shared with the EDOs.