Advisor to CM Punjab on Health, Khawaja Salman Rafique has claimed that the dengue situation is under control in his province because of "tireless and consolidated efforts of government departments", but he suggests all departments should remain alert and continue their anti-dengue activities because of additional rains.
His claims came in a meeting he chaired to review the anti-dengue measures taken by various govt departments that included the Punjab Health Chief Secretary Khizar Hayat Gondal, departments' secretaries, the health director general, King Edward Medical University, Chairman Dengue Expert Advisory Group Vice Chancellor Professor Faisal Masood, the Lahore commissioner, district co-ordination officers of Lahore, Sheikhupura and Gujranwala, the Public Health Institute dean, officers of the Metrological Department, the Pakistan Railways, Police, Water and Sanitation Authority and Solid Waste Management. District co-ordination officers from Rawalpindi, Multan and Faisalabad took part in the meeting through video link.
Health Secretary Jawad Rafique Malik briefed the meeting about the dengue situation in the province, saying, "All government departments are rendering vigorous efforts for dengue control and that these efforts will be helpful to keep the dengue situation under control in the coming raining and humid season." It emerged that there was only one confirmed dengue patient reported in the Punjab with 243 reported in Sindh.
Lahore District Co-ordination Officer Captain Muhammad Usman told his audience that the huge quantity of larvae was reported during an indoor surveillance, but most of the larvae were non-affected. He claimed that indoor and outdoor dengue surveillance teams had been enhanced and more human resource put in the surveillance activities.
His counterparts from Faisalabad, Multan and Rawalpindi then talked about their anti-dengue activities through video link. Officer from Gujranwala Azmat Mahmood said ceramic industries and sanitary warehouses were the hot spots in Gujranwala and their close monitoring and surveillance was being carried out. Regular Town Emergency Response Committee meetings are being held in Lahore, Gujranwala, Rawalpindi, Sheikhupura and other districts to keep a close eye on the situation.
Professor Masood then said according to the guidelines by the Dengue Expert Advisory Group, the names of such dengue suspected patients should be removed from the list of suspected patients after ten days if their blood sample failed to confirm dengue infection. Rawalpindi's district co-ordination officer claimed that no dengue patient had been reported as compared to previous year in which more than 1.200 confirmed dengue patients were reported.
In his speech, the Punjab chief secretary told the officers that all concerned departments should maintain the present pace of their anti-dengue efforts and vigorous outdoor and indoor surveillance should continue. "We cannot afford any slackness in dengue control and the officers showing negligence will be held accountable," he added.
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