A CDA employee busy in anti-mosquito fumigation in a park in Islamabad. PHOTO: ZAFAR ASLAM/EXPRESS
RAWALPINDI: The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared Rawalpindi free from polio virus, said District Health Authority (DHA) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr Rashid Khan.
The sewage samples collected by WHO teams from Safdarabad and Dhok Dalal to determine presence of polio virus were tested negative, he said. Dr Khan said that environmental sampling for checking presence of poliovirus was conducted regularly.
Regarding the repeated vaccination drives, he said that majority of parents created no problems in vaccinating their children however the refusal parents were marked and later convinced for vaccination.
Dengue control
In order to curtail the dengue outbreak, surveillance activities will be expedited in all public spaces, a meeting of district administration was informed on Tuesday.
The Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Headquarters Saima Younis headed the meeting of district emergency response committee for dengue. The meeting was attended by Assistant Commissioner (AC) City Naeem Afzal, District Health Officer Dr Mubashir, Akram, Dengue Programme Focal Person Dr Sajjad and officials from other related departments.
Five polio cases confirmed in K-P; year's count rises to 32
The ADC directed all related departments to increase co-ordination between them so that no dengue related complaint goes unheard. She added that to make the campaign successful, the engagement of masses was mandatory as clean surroundings were essential for curtailing spawning of dengue larvae.
She said that a number of spots turned stagnant after rains and become a source of dengue breeding. The Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) and Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation (RMC) should ensure draining water out from all such spots, she directed.
Furthermore, she instructed the Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) to clear wild bushes across the city.
The meeting was informed that five of 1,098 people tested for the virus were found positive. The officials said that during the indoor vector surveillance in Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB), Chaklala Cantonment Board (CCB), Potohar Town (Urban) and Rawal Town, up to 326 teams inspected 70,166 houses of which 458 were found to be positive. Similarly during outdoor activity, 219 teams found 34 positive spots of 55,868 and a related action was taken there.
Officials rebuked
During the meeting, the ADC was disgruntled when RMC’s representative was unable to give any satisfactory answers. She expelled him from the meeting hall and immediately called the RMC Chief Officer and warned her that only representatives with prior knowledge of issues should be sent to a meeting. The ADC also reprimanded the representative of District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital during the meeting.
She expressed extreme displeasure on officials of the health department when their provided data regarding dengue cases did not match that of the related officials. Moreover, the ADC was also disgruntled when she found out that fumigation was not carried out in Razzaq Town.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 18th, 2019.
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