In pursuance of directions of the provincial government, Dengue Experts Advisory Group is going to send a team of health specialists to Rawalpindi to review the dengue situation and providing guidance to the local experts.
Advisor to Chief Minister Punjab on Health Khawaja Salman Rafiq, while chairing a cabinet committee meeting on dengue here on Monday also directed the Director General Health Dr Mukhtar Hussain Syed to visit Rawalpindi along with the team. He asked the officers concerned for making appropriate arrangements for the treatment of dengue patients in the hospitals.
Salman directed that indoor and outdoor dengue surveillance must be enhanced in Rawalpindi. He observed that monsoon rains may become a source of increasing dengue breeding.
Secretary Primary and Secondary Health Department Ali Jan Khan, Pir Ashraf Rasool MPA, DG Health Dr Mukhtar Hussain Syed and the senior officers of all the departments concerned and DCO Sheikhupura were also present in the meeting. Commissioners and DCOs of Multan, Gujranwala, Faisalabad and Rawalpindi participated in the meeting through video link.
In-charge Chief Minister's Dengue Research Cell Professor Wasim Akram said that 10mm rain is a point of concern as it is sufficient for creating dengue hotspots. He stressed the need for special arrangements from Solid Waste Management and Wasa authorities in the metropolitan cities like Lahore, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Faisalabad and Multan to check the spread of dengue.
On pointation of gaps at the operational level by the Punjab Information Technology Board and Special Branch, Salman Rafiq directed the departments concerned to remove the gray areas in their working. He also directed that special focus should be given on the dengue surveillance activities in graveyards, construction sites and in the junkyards. He said that anti-dengue activities are being carried out for the last many years and everyone is very familiar to the anti-dengue measures. Therefore, time has come to adopt strict policy in this regard. He said that FIR must be launched against the responsible persons in case of dengue larvae reported from any commercial site. He said that culprits who are endangering the human lives should be arrested.