A meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Dengue was held under the Chairmanship of Advisor to Chief Minister Punjab Khawaja Salman Rafique at Civil Secretariat on Thursday, to discuss measures that are being taken against dengue in sensitive areas.
The meeting reviewed the implementation on the anti-dengue measures taken by different departments in the province especially in sensitive districts like Lahore, Sheikhupura, Gujranwala, Rawalpindi and Multan. The meeting was largely attended by elected representatives, senior officers of Health, Information, Agriculture, Irrigation, Fisheries, Social Welfare, Zakat & Usher, Auqaf, Cooperatives, Labour, Environment, Local Government, Higher Education, School Education, PITB, Transport, Metrological Departments, Pakistan Railways, Cantonment Board, Solid Waste, WASA, Police and Special Branch, Health experts, Commissioner Lahore, DCO Lahore, Entomologists and Epidemiologists were also present in the meeting, while Commissioners Gujranwala, Multan and Rawalpindi attended the meeting through video link. The meeting reviewed in detail the indoor and outdoor dengue and vector surveillance activities by different departments.
DCO Lahore Capt. Retd. Muhammad Usman informed that CDGL has increased the surveillance teams in Lahore and effective dengue surveillance is being carried out in Lahore and dengue larva is being reported in large quantity. He disclosed that Nishtar Town, Ravi Town and Shalamar Town are the more sensitive areas. He said that the meetings of the Town Emergency Response Committees are being held regularly.
He informed that indoor residual spray has been conducted in 1,180 houses. Moreover, 24,950 fish has been stocked in the different water bodies. Member of Dengue Expert Advisor Group Dr. Somia Iqtidar informed that 106 doctors of private hospitals have been imparted training for the clinical management of dengue patients, whereas, training of Food Department officials in dengue surveillance has also been completed. The meeting was informed that close monitoring and surveillance is being conducted in graveyards, junkyards, tyre shops, construction sites and other places to eliminate dengue-breeding hotspots. The meeting also reviewed the stock position of insecticides, spray equipment, and expressed satisfaction over it.
Rafique directed that the recruitment process on more than 4,000 vacancies for dengue staff, which was sanctioned by the Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif last week, should immediately be completed. He said that Rawalpindi is a sensitive district like last year; therefore, special attention should be paid to indoor and outdoor dengue surveillance.