Directive to intensify anti-dengue activities

LAHORE:Under the chairmanship of Punjab Health Secretary Imran Sikander Baloch, an emergency meeting was held for the prevention of dengue in the province. Special Secretary Dr Farrukh Naveed, MS of all teaching hospitals and related officers participated in the meeting.

During the meeting, Punjab Health Secretary Imran Sikander Baloch had a detailed review of activities for the prevention of dengue in the province. The MSs of all teaching hospitals briefed the health secretary about the treatment facilities for patients.

Secretary Health directed to intensify preventive activities for remedial measures. He said that dengue prevention activities were being continuously reviewed throughout Punjab. All CEOs should self-monitor all prevention activities with the district administration. All districts must register dengue cases on the dashboard. Focal persons are being appointed to report dengue cases and preventive activities in hospitals. He said that cleanliness must be ensured in all government hospitals of Punjab. Special dengue counters have been activated in all government hospitals while high dependency units for patients in government hospitals must be activated.

All administrations have been alerted to the increase in cases of dengue throughout Punjab. The health secretary said that the health department officers in Lahore and Rawalpindi should ensure preventive activities.

Better facilities for the treatment of dengue patients are being ensured in the public hospitals of Punjab. Punjab health commissions should continuously monitor preventive activities in private hospitals across the province while cost of dengue test at Rs90 in Punjab must be ensured, he added.

Imran Sikandar said that any kind of negligence in anti-dengue prevention activities would not be tolerated. APP ADDs: Around 73 new cases of dengue virus were reported in Punjab on Sunday while death was caused by the virus.

According to the Health Department, a total of 1,002 dengue virus cases have been reported so far during the current year while three people died of the virus and 229 patients are under treatment in different hospitals of the province. The Punjab Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department reported 28 dengue cases in Rawalpindi, 34 in Lahore, two each in Multan and Sialkot, and one each in Chakwal, Layyah, Okara, Narowal, Toba Tek Singh, Bahawalnagar and Gujranwala during the last 24 hours.

All suspected dengue virus cases are under surveillance and their tests are being conducted, a spokesperson said. The anti-dengue squad, under the Punjab Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department (P&SHD), killed dengue larvae at 645 places in the province during daily surveillance.

The anti-dengue squad conducted surveillance at 332,784 indoor and 79,271 outdoor places to detect dengue larvae during the last 24 hours.The P&SHD urged people to adopt precautionary measures and keep their environment clean and dry to protect themselves from dengue.