Effective surveillance to help control dengue in peak seasons: Salman

CM’s Adviser on Health Khawaja Salman Rafique has said that effective dengue surveillance and concrete anti-dengue steps taken in March and April would help control dengue in its peak seasons.

All the departments should continue their vigorous indoor and outdoor dengue surveillance according to the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). He directed that samples of larva reported during the surveillance must be sent to the institute of public health for analysis on regular basis.

He stated this while presiding over a meeting of cabinet committee on dengue at the civil secretariat. Besides, Member National Assembly Ms. Kiran Dar, Secretary Primary and Secondary Health Punjab, Ali Jan Khan, DG Health Dr. Mukhtar Hussain Syed, DCO Sheikhupura, senior officers of all the concerned departments and representatives of the cantonment boards and federal departments attended the meeting. Divisional commissioners and the DCOs of Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi and Multan apprised the meeting regarding the anti-dengue activities in their respective divisions. Additional Director General Health Dengue Control, Dr. Fayyaz Butt briefed about the dengue situation and controlling measures in Punjab. He informed that no confirmed case of dengue patient has so far been reported in the province. However, effective dengue surveillance campaign is continued resulting in larva reporting from different union councils of Lahore and Rawalapindi. DCO Rawalpindi, Sajid Zafar Dal informed that appropriate arrangements have been finalized in the hospitals for the treatment of dengue patients. He further informed that effective dengue surveillance has been started in all the dengue sensitive areas with the cooperation of high ups of Cantonment Boards.

Kh. Salman Rafique directed that dengue counters be made functional and banners should be displayed for public awareness. Kh. Salman Rafique directed the officers to ensure cleanliness in the premises of their respective departments and dengue hot spots should also be eliminated from the government’s buildings. He directed that special dengue surveillance must be carried out in the graveyards, junkyards, construction sites and tyre shops to check dengue breeding.