Comprehensive surveillance: Dengue larvae reported across province

Development comes in wake of rigorous surveillance.

LAHORE: The presence of dengue larvae has been reported across Lahore, Rawalpindi and Sheikhupura, those present at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Dengue were informed on Tuesday.

Those present were told that this was so due to comprehensive dengue surveillance. The Gujranwala, Rawalpindi, Multan and Faisalabad commissioners, DCOs and Health Department EDOs briefed those present on anti-dengue activities across their jurisdictions. They were told that no confirmed dengue fever case had been reported across the Punjab so far.

Dengue Experts’ Advisory Group (DEAG) secretary Somia Iqtidar said the group had trained 700 doctors working in the public and private sector during the current season.  She said divisional DEAGs were also training doctors and nurses to ensure more effective treatment of dengue patients. Those present also took stock of medicines used in dengue sprays, pumps and fogging machines at the disposal of district governments.

Adviser to Chief Minister on Health Khwaja Salman Rafique, who chaired the meeting, said dengue surveillance teams should devote greater attention to areas where the presence of dengue larvae was yet to be reported. Rafique said this would ensure that there was no laxity in this regard. He said the formulation of a better strategy and more effective arrangements would be possible on the basis of available larvae data.

Those present were told that Town Emergency Response Committees (TRECs) had been reactivated and were meeting regularly on a weekly basis.

A Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) director said the board had formulated a map and database of dengue cases across every town and city. He said this had been uploaded on a dashboard. The director said this would help formulate a more effective strategy to curb dengue. He said it would also help measure performance of various departments.

The CM’s adviser directed all departments to continue anti-dengue activities in accordance with the SOPs to curb dengue mosquito breeding in their jurisdictions.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 23^rd,  2016.