Punjab Health Secretary Jehanzeb Khan on Friday ordered all health executive district officers (EDOs) to immediately finalize safety arrangements in view of the forthcoming monsoon season, saying the short-comings detected during the last year’s floods should be removed so that timely medical assistance could be extended to the flood victims.
He was presiding over a meeting of Health Services directors and Health EDOs of all districts.
During the meeting, precautionary measures to cope with the exigencies of expected floods in the monsoon season, the arrangements for prevention of a disease breakout during the flood season, provision of vaccine against dog and snakebites, anti-mosquito spray for protection against dengue fever and malaria, availability of spray pumps, fogging machines, storage of essential medicines and hygienic measures at the camps of flood victims were reviewed.
The meeting was also informed that there was a flood threat in 16 districts of Punjab along Jhelum, Chenab and Sindh rivers. The meeting also reviewed the measures to deal with the expected floods in big cities. Khan ordered all officers to finalize the action plan with the DCOs of the respective districts and disaster management department and added that all arrangements should be completed by July 31. The Health Secretary said a strategy should be evolved for preventing the outbreak of epidemics in the flood-hit areas.
He said special attention should be paid to the pregnant women, newborn babies and the elderly and arrangements for the vaccination should be made against the diseases caused by contaminated water. He said it was the responsibility of Health EDOs to ensure success of the health programmes at district level.