“All government departments should complete their arrangements and prepare themselves for the next dengue season during cold weather. Repair & maintenance of fogging machines, spray pumps as well as training of doctors and nurses by the Dengue Experts Advisory Committee Group and refresher courses for spray men also be completed,” the Punjab Health Services Director General Dr Mukhtar Hussain Syed said today.
He was attending a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Dengue at the S&GAD Committee Room, Civil Secretariat. MPA Lubna Faisal, DCO Lahore Capt (r) Muhammad Usman and other relevant officers also attended the meeting. The DCOs and health EDOs of other districts participated through a video link.
Dengue Control Additional Director General Dr Fayyaz Butt said that during the current year 2558 confirmed dengue patients were reported in Punjab out of which 1084 were reported from Lahore and 1156 from Rawalpindi,
“During the last few days no dengue patient has been reported in Lahore, Rawalpindi or other cities, while reports of dengue larvae have also been significantly lowered,” he said.
The DCO Lahore observed that dengue regulations should also be revised for the next season.
The meeting also constituted a technical working group headed by Head of the Dengue Research Cell Prof Wasim Akram. This technical group will analyse the effects of insecticides on the dengue carrying mosquito, check the immunity of the mosquito to the chemicals used and submit a report of the findings.
DG Health Dr Mukhtar Hussain disclosed that a laboratory is being set up in the department for analysis of insecticides. He said that a PC-I of Rs 5 million has been allotted. He hoped that this project would be completed in the next few months.