Advisor to Chief Minister Punjab on Health, Kh. Salman Rafiq has directed that dengue surveillance activities should be continued during holidays of Muharram like Eid and duties of the staff should be in rotation. He said that dengue season is at its peak therefore any negligence can be harmful. He further said that a vigilant eye should be kept on areas of Defense Housing Authority and special attention be paid to surveillance.
He expressed these views while presiding over a meeting of cabinet committee on dengue, here today. Besides elected representatives, Additional Chief Secretary Shamail Ahmed Khawaja, Secretary Primary and Secondary Health Ali Jan Khan, Secretaries of different government departments, senior officers, DG Health Punjab, Public health experts, in-charge Chief Minister Dengue Research Cell Prof. Waseem Akram, officers of Special Branch and PITB participated in the meeting. DCO Lahore Capt. ® Muhammad Usman was also present on the occasion while DCOs and commissioners of Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Multan, Kasur, Nankana Sahib, Sheikhupura, Jhelum and Attock attended the meeting through video link. Additional Director General Dengue Control Dr. Fiaz Butt told that no dengue patient was reported in Islamabad last year while more than 400 cases have so far been reported this year. He said that these patients are being treated in the hospitals of Rawalpindi. Additional Chief Secretary Shamail Ahmed Khawaja directed to immediately appoint a team of resource persons from Rawalpindi to provide technical support to Islamabad administration for checking dengue, which will provide guidelines to concerned authorities and institutions of federal capital. He further said that he will also contact Chief Commissioner Islamabad and other officials in this regard. DCO Lahore informed that it has been decided to register a case against the house owner if dengue larva was recovered twice from any home during dengue surveillance. He said that City District Government is monitoring dengue surveillance in DHA. PITB officers told that besides government hospitals, private hospitals are also providing data of dengue patients to PITB.
Kh. Salman Rafiq directed that experts of DEAG should conduct refresher training for doctors of private hospitals with regard to case management for the awareness of new doctors. He directed that at least five beds should be reserved for dengue patients in private hospitals of Islamabad for reducing load in government hospitals in Rawalpindi so that patients of Islamabad could be treated locally. He directed that attention be paid to dengue surveillance at private housing societies, graveyards, junk yards and construction places and all the departments should continue to take steps for controlling dengue.