Advisor to Chief Minister Punjab on Health Khawaja Salman Rafique has said that hospital waste is causing dangerous diseases and all the stake-holder departments need to adopt a consolidated strategy for tackling the problem.
While addressing a 2-day training workshop on hospital waste management organised in collaboration with the Health Services Academy Islamabad, World Health Organisation (WHO) and Punjab Health Department for health managers, nurses and sanitary inspectors of government hospitals here Tuesday, he said, a joint meeting of Health, Environment, Local Government and other departments and institutions would be called for evolving a comprehensive strategy for this purpose.
He said that necessary measures would be taken for the protection of health workers from infection including vaccination against hepatitis-B. He said that recommendations prepared by the working groups during 2-day training workshop would be considered and these would be included while framing the policy in this regard. He said that there is a need to take so many steps at district level for removing the deficiencies of the system. He said that reforms are being introduced in Health Department to improve the health services indicators in Punjab.
Professor Dr Ramesh Kumar of Health Services Academy Islamabad, Director Punjab Hepatitis Control Programme Dr Zulfiqar Qureshi, Health Educationist Usman Ghani, Medical Superintendent Government Saeed Mitha Hospital Dr Haq Nawaz Bharwana also spoke on the occasion.
Advisor to Chief Minister Punjab on Health Khawaja Salman Rafique while presiding over the first meeting of 2014 of cabinet committee on dengue control directed all the departments concerned to start anti-dengue activities in accordance with the standard operating procedures (SOPs) as the season has changed.
He said that early dengue surveillance, barricading activities and awareness steps would be helpful in controlling dengue at initial stage. He said that all officers and officials are aware of their duties due to the four years' experience in dengue control activities.
Secretary Health informed the participants of the meeting that during current year, no dengue case has so far been reported in Punjab while in Sindh 120 confirmed dengue cases have been reported. He informed that sufficient stock of medicines/chemicals like deltamathrine, tomiphose etc is available in the Health Department stores. He said that SOPs evolved by the experts of Institute of Public Health have been published in a book form which would be circulated to all departments and district governments.
During the meeting, senior officers gave briefing regarding their preparedness and steps taken for dengue control in the province. It was informed that dengue surveillance activities have been launched in Lahore, Sheikhupura and other sensitive districts but no dengue larva positive report has been received from any city.