On the directions of Punjab Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif, Rs 20 million have been released to teaching hospitals for providing special treatment to dengue patients whereas four air conditioning units have also been installed in the wards set up for dengue patients in Lahore General Hospital.
This was disclosed by Punjab Agriculture Secretary Captain (r) Arif Nadeem during a media briefing regarding dengue fever. Punjab Health Special Secretary Dawood Khan said the government launched an organised awareness campaign about the diagnosis and treatment of dengue as a result of which the rush of dengue patients had started decreasing in outdoors of teaching hospitals.
Khan said the federal government had issued NOC for importing dextron-40 medicine from India and Punjab Health Department had also placed order of importing drops costing Rs 2 million and the company concerned would provide these drops within four days. Khan further said that 16-bed field hospitals were also being provided to teaching hospitals of Lahore so that the patients should not face any problem.
He told the media that walk-in interviews were continuing for recruiting 1,000 nurses, whereas 624 nurses have been recruited so far. Punjab Agriculture secretary told the media that 150 fogging machines were being imported whereas 200 foggers were already being utilized in the campaign against mosquitoes in the city. He said that action has been taken against 70 medical stores for selling medicines on higher prices to be used in dengue fever and 41 laboratories for receiving more than Rs 90 for blood test.
He said that 9,402 dengue fever patients have recovered whereas 379 new dengue patients have been reported in the province during the last 24 hours, of which, 314 belonged to Lahore. He said that the total number of dengue patients reported during the current year in Punjab is 9,781, out of which 8,769 belonged to Lahore and at present, 1,462 patients were under treatment in various government and non-government hospitals. He said that 11 deaths occurred due to dengue fever during the last 24 hours.
CM ASSURES LEGISLATION FOR DENGUE: The chief minister has said that in addition to taking other steps for ensuring cleanliness in streets, parks, residences and other places in connection with eradication of dengue virus, government would also carry out new legislation. He said that people would be apprised about the importance of the cleanliness.
He was presiding over a meeting held with regard to reviewing the ongoing campaign for eradication of dengue virus on Saturday.
