Punjab Minister for Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Khawaja Salman Raffique has directed the officers of all concerned departments to ensure participation in meetings of the town emergency response committees (TERC) to ensure effective measures to check dengue.
He also directed officers of the agriculture, transport, social welfare, local govt, and auqaf departments to improve their performance with regard to dengue control activities.
The minister issued these instructions while chairing a meeting of the cabinet committee on dengue at the civil secretariat on Monday.
Dengue Control Programme Additional Director General Dr Farukh Sultan briefed the meeting about the dengue situation and measures taken for its control. He said that so far ten confirmed dengue patients had been reported from Punjab during the present dengue season, out of which three patients were from Lahore.
He said that sufficient stocks of insecticides used in fogging and spraying are available with the department and more chemicals are being procured for which national and international tenders have already been floated.
Khawaja Salman Raffique directed the finance department to complete the process for releasing funds on urgent basis for the recruitment of new dengue staff. The meeting was informed that the dengue experts advisory group has completed the case management training of doctors and nurses.
The minister directed concerned departments to be more vigilant in those districts where dengue larva is being detected as a result of effective indoor and outdoor dengue surveillance. He said that dengue surveillance should be made more effective in those districts in which dengue larva is not reported or detected in less quantity.
Kh Salman Raffique directed all relevant departments to continue their anti-dengue activities and concentrate on the surveillance of graveyards, junk yards, and construction sites to check dengue breeding. He also said that a joint strategy should be implemented for dengue control with the authorities of the federal capital.
Primary and Secondary Health Special Secretary Dr Faisal Zahoor, senior officers of all concerned departments, Lahore District Health Authority Chief Executive Officer Dr Zulfiqar, Health Technical Addl Secretary Dr Asim, Dengue Research Cell Incharge Prof Wasim Akram, officers of the special branch, the police department and the PITB also attended the meeting.
Deputy commissioners and chief executive officers of the health department from Sheikhupura, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Multan, Attock, Jehlum, Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan, Jhang, Kasur, Sargodha and Rajanpur participated in the meeting through video links.
