As many as 11 confirmed cases of dengue have so far been reported in the province of Punjab while steps for eradication of dengue larvae are underway so that breeding of mosquitoes' causing spread of dengue could be checked. Pursuant to directions of Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, authorities concerned have been asked for making foolproof arrangements in all hospitals for diagnoses and treatment of dengue patients and warned no laxity would be tolerated in this regard.
Provincial Health Minister Khalil Tahir Sindhu said the government is spending an amount of 102 billions of rupees on the prevention and treatment of diseases. Emphasising the need for raising public awareness for controlling diseases, he called for following the principle of "prevention is better than cure" to check spread of diseases. Khalil said that the expenditures on the treatment of diseases cannot be controlled without eliminating the causes of diseases. He said that people should adopt preventive measures to save themselves from diseases.
Secretary Health Punjab Hassan Iqbal, while presiding over a monthly meeting of Executive District Officers Health and Directors Health on Tuesday, said that, as public health experts, it is the responsibility of officers of health department to apprise the people well before time about seasonal illnesses.
Director General Health Dr Tanvir Ahmad, EDOs (Health) of all districts, Directors Health EPI, CDC, Punjab AIDS Control Programme, Directors of all other programmes including Lady Health Workers programme attended the meeting. Secretary Health said there is a need to further augment alert system of the health sector. He added that government officers also ought to work for their self satisfaction in the job, but, unfortunately, this passion has been weakened. He said that, if the working is done to sensitise the people about spread of diseases by adopting precautionary measures, health challenges like measles, dengue and gastro-enteritis would not exist.
Secretary directed EDOs to personally monitored DHQ and THQ hospitals, along with health centres, in order to provide better medical facilities to the people by improving performance of these hospitals. The meeting reviewed in details measles and dengue situation in the province. Directors EPI informed that spread of measles epidemic has been substantially decreased, however, anti-measles campaign would also be launched in the remaining 12 districts of the province, after Eid. Additional Director General Dengue Control Programme Dr Jaffar Ilyas informed that, due to rainy season, next three months are important, which can increase dengue cases.