‘We will help other provinces fight dengue’

Punjab Chief Minister, Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif, has said that Punjab has excellent resources, technical skill and experience to cope with dengue and any possible outbreak of dengue will be countered whole heartedly.
He said that Punjab is ready to provide necessary guidance and assistance to Sindh and Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa governments in dealing with the threat of dengue so that people of the whole county could be saved from this menace. He said that anti-dengue brigades will also be set up in Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Multan and Gujranwala on the pattern of Lahore while high dependency units will be established at district headquarter hospitals.
He also said that Punjab government had started training programmes for doctors and nurses of private hospitals so that maximum awareness could be promoted in the medical staff regarding dengue virus.
The meeting was told that a website had been launched through Punjab Information Technology Board for monitoring the activities of government departments for dengue control. Similarly focal persons have been appointed in different departments for immediate action on public complaints regarding health and cleanliness while the garbage disposal work in parks and other open places is continuing on priority basis.
The Chief Minister further directed that Member National Assembly Pervaiz Malik should evolve a comprehensive policy for the maintenance of water filtration plants installed by the federal government in the provincial metropolis and provision of financial resources for this purpose so that potable water could be available to the masses. He issued instructions to consider provision of pick and drop facility to the blood donors. He said that coordination should also be maintained with the federal institutions for eradication of dengue while solid measures should be taken for the disposal of condemned tyres lying on the rooftops of houses and shops.
Minister for Education Mujtaba Shuja ur Rehman said that dengue awareness campaign is continuing in educational institutions in the province and private educational institutions have also been included in this drive.