Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has said that dengue situation is under control. However, the heads of departments concerned should complete their arrangements as stern action would be taken in case of any laxity or dereliction of duty in this regard. He said that anti-dengue measures should continue even during Eid holidays and the respective departments should prepare their separate plans for this purpose.
He was presiding over a high level meeting to review the measures against possible outbreak of dengue, here Sunday. Minister Health, Kh Salman Rafique, Assembly Members, provincial secretaries, heads of development institutions, experts and officers concerned were present.
Addressing the meeting, Shahbaz Sharif said that keeping in view the experience of the last year with regard to anti-dengue arrangements, there is no room for mistake this year as well and the departments concerned should remain fully alert. He said that the system should work automatically and elected representatives, government departments and their heads should realise their responsibilities while any shortcoming should be removed automatically.
The Chief Minister described the measures taken by some institutions as unsatisfactory and directed their heads to further improve the arrangements as no compromise can be made on human lives nor any negligence would be tolerated in dealing with dengue virus. He said that a vigorous public awareness campaign against dengue is continuing, however, there is a need to provide further information to the citizens regarding anti-dengue measures as the fight against dengue cannot be won without effective public participation.
The Chief Minister further directed that steps should be taken on emergent basis for the drainage of rain water from graveyards, parks, junkyards and low-lying areas and measures be taken immediately to prevent accumulation of rainwater at all these places.
He said that a warehouse has been constructed for storage of anti-dengue equipment. He said that under-construction buildings are a major source of breeding of dengue mosquito therefore debris of such buildings should be removed. He said that the current season is favourable for the breeding of dengue mosquito hence all departments concerned should make concerted efforts to eliminate nurseries of dengue mosquito.
The Chief Minister also directed to accelerate indoor and outdoor surveillance and said that the process of third-party validation of vector surveillance should be made more effective. Terming the sanitary arrangements in co-operative housing societies unsatisfactory, the Chief Minister directed to improve cleanliness conditions in these societies.
He said that the war against dengue is not over yet and will continue till this fatal disease is eradicated from the whole country including Punjab. The Chief Minister said that arrangements should be finalised to cope with any untoward situation and medicines and spray equipment should be in readiness. He further said that the persons responsible for detection and elimination of dengue larva should perform their responsibilities efficiently.
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