The Punjab Health Department has established provincial and regional surveillance and epidemic response cells to carry out necessary epidemiological measures and provide prompt technical advice to districts regarding prevention and control of common infections and control epidemics of gastroenteritis, malaria, measles, dengue fever and dengue haemorrhagic fever in the coming monsoon season.
The Provincial Surveillance and Epidemic Cell will work directly under supervision of the Punjab health director general. The health director CDC will be convener of the cell and epidemiologist of the Punjab Institute of Public Health (IPH), Lahore, bacteriologist of the Punjab government, additional director health malaria and additional director health education would be members of the cell. The cell would physically visit the affected areas in collaboration with the Regional Surveillance/Epidemic Response Centres established at each medical college to provide backup technical support and medical kits and human resource for epidemiological activities.
Regional Surveillance and Epidemic Response Cells have been established at each medial college to cater to needs of the attached districts to control epidemics of gastroenteritis, malaria, measles, dengue fever and dengue haemorrhagic fever.
Head of department of pathology of the medical college concerned would be convener of the cell, whereas, head of department of community medicine, one professor of medicine and one professor of paediatrics of the same college would be members of the cell. The Regional Surveillance and Epidemic Response Cells were also tasked to physically visit the affected areas/districts in collaboration with teams of the provincial response cell and districts sentinel sites to provide backup support for provision of kits and human resource.
The Punjab Health Department, keeping in view the forecast of 10 percent access rains in the coming monsoon season, has directed all district health officers and Surveillance and Epidemic Response Cells to remain alert to cope with any eventuality. Health EDOs and district health officers have been directed to give special attention to high-risk areas, especially flood-affected districts of last year.
The department has also directed officers to remain in close contact with department authorities and send a report accordingly.
Health Dept establishes surveillance response cells
