Additional Chief Secretary Punjab Shumail Ahmed Khawaja presided over a meeting to review H1,N1 seasonal influenza situation in the province, today. Advisor on Health Kh. Salman Rafique especially attended the meeting. Secretary Specialized Healthcare & Medical Education Najam Ahmed Shah, Secretary Primary & Secondary Healthcare Ali Jan Khan, Director General Health Dr. Amjad Shehzad, Director CDC Dr. Habib-ur-Rehman and Vice Chancellor King Edward Medical University Prof. Faisal Masood attended the meeting. DG Health Punjab Dr. Amjad Shehzad gave a briefing to the meeting about the seasonal influenza situation particularly in Lahore, Rawalpindi and Multan. Â
Additional Chief Secretary directed that special counters of H1,N1 seasonal influenza patients should be set up in all teaching hospitals. He said that the high dependency units (HDUs) set up for dengue patients in the hospitals should be allocated for treatment of influenza patients for one month. The meeting directed that on the pattern of dengue, awareness should be provided to all doctors and nurses registered through PITB about influenza through SMS. He said that the doctors and other staff deputed for treatment of influenza patients should be provided protection kits. Additional Chief Secretary directed that a check list about the treatment of influenza, awareness and protection measures should be prepared and the arrangements should be checked according to the list. During the meeting, an official as a patient made a telephone call on the helpline given in the advertisement about the awareness of influenza, upon which doctors prescribed medicines and provided guidance to the patient. The participants of the meeting expressed their satisfaction on becoming the system active.
DG Health told that Health Department has 15 thousand protection kits. Moreover, personal protection kits have been provided to the concerned hospitals and doctors are using these kits. He told that 30 thousand tomi flue tablets are available in the stock of the department, which are used for the treatment of influenza. He said that there is no shortage of this medicine, however, as a buffer stock, more tablets are being imported from WHO. Advisor on Health Kh. Salman Rafique said that an awareness campaign should be launched in a proper manner for providing awareness to the doctors’ community and the people about this disease.