A high-level meeting of heads of medical education institutions of Lahore, teaching hospitals and specialized healthcare departments was held under the chair of Provincial Minister for Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Kh. Salman Rafiq here today. The meeting reviewed the situation of H1N1 seasonal Influenza in Lahore. DG Health Punjab Dr. Akhter Rasheed Malik told that only one case has been reported in Lahore from Farooq Hospital and 72 years Rashida is under treatment. He said that required medicines needed for seasonal influenza are available in abundance and there is no dearth of such medicines. The heads of teaching hospitals said that vaccination of concerned doctors and other staff has been carried out to save them from this disease. Secretary Health Najam Shah directed that if any hospital has not done vaccination of its staff till now, then the same should be managed immediately so that the staff could remain safe from the disease. The meeting decided to depute services hospital as the focal hospital for treatment of patients of seasonal influenza. The meeting noted that it will help to overcome the spread of this disease. A HDU Ward has been established in the services hospital and all the hospitals have been directed to refer their patients to services hospital if any case is reported to them. DG health Dr. Akhter Rasheed further said that so far 66 confirmed cases of seasonal influenza have been reported in the whole of Punjab.
Provincial Minister Kh. Imran Nazir said that many of the patients died of seasonal influenza were already suffering from more than one disease. He said that health department has conducted mortality audit of all died persons. Kh. Salman Rafiq directed that awareness campaign should be continued to sensitize the people about adoption of safety measures and the hospitals’ staff should ensure to utilize their personal protective kits while treating such patients.
The meeting was attended by Minister Primary and Secondary Health Kh. Imran Nazir, Secretary Specialized Health Najam Ahmed Shah, Special Secretary Dr. Sajid Chuhan and other high ranking officers.