Non-existence of hotspots for dengue breeding: health department asked to obtain certificates from hospitals

The Punjab government has asked the health department to obtain certificate of non-existence of hotspots for dengue breeding from the administration of government hospitals.
Special Assistant to Chief Minister Punjab on Health, Khawaja Salman Rafique, while chairing a meeting of Cabinet Committee to review the implementation on the steps taken for dengue control here on Saturday, also directed the government departments to ensure implementation on the decisions of Cabinet Committee.
Besides, elected public representatives from Lahore, Secretaries/Additional Secretaries of concerned departments, Commissioner Lahore, EDO Health Lahore and other senior officers attended the meeting. The officers of different departments presented performance report of their departments regarding dengue prevention and control.
Commissioner Lahore informed the meeting that WASA would complete de-silting of sewerage pipelines before start of monsoon, adding that 285 graveyards and 1,107 tyre shops were checked for dengue larva surveillance and only two samples proved positive. He further stated that special focus was being given to lifting of garbage heaps and cleanliness of Railway colonies and side by side of Railway lines.
Special Secretary Health informed the meeting that standard operating procedure (SOPs) for swimming pools had been prepared to check dengue breeding. He said those SOPs had been dispatched to all EDOs Health for ensuring 100 percent implementation. He further informed that the health department had purchased 1,650 spray pumps and 419 hand handled foggers, and said procurement of electro-medical equipments for high dependency units in government hospitals was also being made.
He stated that teams of Health Department examined 22,204 water containers and 7,472 spots to detect dengue larva. The meeting was informed that tyre shops registration and licensing of these shops would also be made. Moreover, reports regarding the redressal of the complaints of garbage in different localities of the city were presented in the meeting and informed that Lahore Waste Management Company was busy to lift heaps of waste from the city.
It was informed that the Local Government officials had removed faults of water filtration plants. Besides, monitoring of tyre puncture shops, Forest and Fisheries Department had released about 70,000 dengue larva eaters (fish) in different water ponds. The meeting was further informed that dengue larva eaters were also being released in the fountains of public parks of the city. On this occasion, public representatives also pointed out the water drainage problems of different places in their constituencies and state of cleanliness. The Chair directed concerned department to redress those complaints.