Punjab Minister for Primary & Secondary Health Kh. Imran Nazir has said that chickenpox situation has been normalized in the province and very few cases are reported in different areas in these days. He said that a significant downtrend of the disease is noted. The Minister further said that during the current season 1591 cases of chickenpox have been reported in Punjab out of which the largest number of cases reported in Faisalabad i.e. 821 and 86 from Lahore. The Minister said that Primary & Secondary Health Department had arranged vaccination for the health providers and all the contacts of the patients. More than one lakh general practitioners/doctors provided awareness and guidelines regarding the symptoms, diagnoses and treatment of chickenpox through sms system already placed with the help of Punjab Information & Technology Board. He said that satisfactory arrangements of treatment have been made in the tertiary care hospitals and provincial level monitoring was conducted.
He stated this while addressing a press conference at the committee room of Primary & Secondary Health Department Birdwood Road, here today. Special Secretary Dr. Faisal Zahoor, Additional Secretary (Technical) Specialized Healthcare Dr. Salman Shahid, Additional Secretary Primary Health Dr. Asim Altaf and other concerned officers were also present in the press conference. Kh. Imran Nazir informed that two weeks back the intensity of chickenpox disease in Faisalabad division was very high however, both the health departments made effective measures and the Ministers of Specialized Health and Primary Healthcare held meetings on daily basis to review the situation for ten days regularly and all the chief executive officers of the affected districts were also taken on board and daily report sought from them regarding the situation. The Minister said that Special Secretary Specialized Healthcare Dr. Sajid Chauhan personally visited Faisalabad to review the situation. He also participated in an awareness seminar arranged by the Punjab Medical College for health providers. Kh. Imran Nazir said that chickenpox known as a disease of children which cured within few days but this time adults have been affected and unfortunately due to multiple diseases/co-morbidity of the chickenpox patients 19 deaths reported in Faisalabad. The Minister said that Health Department constituted a committee of senior professors for mortality audit of these deaths. Kh. Imran Nazir disclosed that chickenpox has been declared as notify-able disease due to that private hospitals and practitioners have to report chickenpox cases to the Health Department. Special Secretary Health Dr. Faisal Zahoor said that Health Information Management System has been placed in the Department through which data of all such diseases is being gathered in the department. At present 15000 doses of chickenpox vaccine is available in the stock of the department while vaccination of all the concerned people have already been carried out. The Chief Executive Officers of the affected districts have been directed to remain vigilant and continue monitoring of the situation, he concluded.