Punjab Minister for Primary and Secondary Health Khawaja Imran Nazir has said that the breakout of chickenpox has come under control in the province and very few cases are being reported in different areas, these days. The minister further said that during the current season, 1591 cases of chickenpox have been reported in Punjab out of which the largest number of cases was reported in Faisalabad i.e. 821.
The minister said more than 100,000 general practitioners created awareness and gave guidelines regarding the symptoms, diagnoses and treatment of chickenpox through SMS system placed with the help of Punjab Information and Technology Board to the people of different districts. He said that the arrangements made in the tertiary care hospitals for the treatment of patients were satisfactory as was seen through a provincial level monitoring.
He stated this while addressing a press conference at the committee room of Primary and Secondary Health Department Birdwood Road, here today. Special Secretary Dr Faisal Zahoor, Additional Secretary (Technical) Specialized Healthcare Dr Salman Shahid, Additional Secretary Primary Health Dr Asim Altaf and other concerned officers were also present at the press conference.
Khawaja Imran Nazir informed the press that two weeks back the intensity of chickenpox disease in Faisalabad division was very high; however, the health departments took effective measures and the ministers of specialized health and primary healthcare held meetings on a daily basis to review the situation for ten days. He added that all the chief executive officers of the affected districts were also taken on board and a daily report was sought from them regarding the situation.
The minister said that the Special Secretary Specialized Healthcare Dr Sajid Chauhan, personally visited Faisalabad to review the situation. He also participated in an awareness seminar, arranged by the Punjab Medical College for health providers, he added.
Khawaja Imran Nazir said that chickenpox is a disease, commonly found in children, which cures within a few days. This time, he added, adults had caught the disease too that resulted in 19 deaths in Faisalabad. The minister said that the health department constituted a committee of senior professors for mortality audit of these deaths. Khawaja Imran Nazir disclosed that chickenpox has been declared as a notify-able disease and now private hospitals and practitioners have to report chickenpox cases to the Health Department.
Special Secretary Health Dr Faisal Zahoor said that at present, 15000 doses of chickenpox vaccine are available in the stock. He added that the vaccination of all the concerned people have already been carried out. The chief executive officers of the affected districts have been directed to remain vigilant and continue monitoring the situation, he concluded.