As many as 35 girl students fell unconscious after an anti-dengue spray was carried out in their school in the Sohawa area of Jhelum on Saturday.
According to reports, an inexperienced anti-dengue team carried out the fumigation while the school was in session and, as result, at least 35 students fainted, who were rushed to hospitals.
According to hospital sources, the incident occurred due to excessive use of toxic chemicals and the fumigation caused suffocation.
Secretary Health Punjab Jawad Rafique Malik has said that the headmistress of Girls High School Domaili, tehsil Sohawa, district Jhelum had got arranged anti-dengue spray privately. He said that the chemical used in spray was also not approved by the Health Department due to which female students of the school were affected.
The health secretary said that on the direction of Punjab chief minister, he was in Rawalpindi for monitoring the steps being taken by eradication of dengue and on receiving the information about the girl students affected due to dengue spray. He immediately reached Domaili and monitored the rescue activities.
Rafique told that police has taken into custody headmistress of girls school, chowkidar, owner of shop who provided spray chemical and other persons. He told that 42 female students were admitted in district headquarter hospital Jhelum and 20 girl students in RHC Domaili. He said that treatment facilities are being provided to all affected girl students and taken special care.
Taking strict action to an incident at a school in Jhelum where students fell unconscious owing to anti-dengue spray, Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif issued orders of immediate suspension of Jhelum DCO, Jhelum Health EDO, Jhelum Education EDO and TMO.
Orders of suspension of Attock DCO, Attock Health EDO, Attock Education EDO and TMO have also been issued in a similar incident which happened in a school of Jand, Attock.
The chief minister said that besides best laboratories of the country, samples of anti-dengue spray in both the schools will also be analysed from a laboratory abroad. He said that further action will be taken in the light of the results of tests of these samples.
Sharif also took strict notice of becoming the condition of female students serious due to anti-dengue spray in a school of Jhelum and sought a report from health advisor, health secretary and the administration.
The chief minister has also constituted an enquiry committee for investigation of the incident of becoming the condition of the female students serious due to anti-dengue spray.
The inquiry committee comprising Rawalpindi commissioner and Dr Wasim Akram will review every aspect of the incident and submit a report and also determine the persons responsible of negligence.
Sharif also ordered to get checked the standard of anti-dengue spray carried out in a school from the laboratory. He ordered investigation of the incident of anti-dengue spray without protective measures and directed that best treatment facilities should be provided to the affected female students and proper care be taken. He further directed to fix the responsibility of showing negligence during anti-dengue spray and strict action be taken against them. He said that preventive measures evolved for anti-dengue spray should be ensured at every cost.
On receiving the information about the incident the chief minister directed provincial education minister, advisor health, chief secretary, secretary health and secretary schools education to immediately reach Jhelum. He said that the incident of becoming the condition of female students serious due to anti-dengue spray in a school should be reviewed in detail and process of provision of medical facilities to the affected female students should be personally monitored.