Punjab health minister stresses dengue surveillance
PHOTO: REUTERS
Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid has said surveillance teams must be mobilised and take action after identifying the hotspots to eliminate dengue larva.
The health minister issued the directives while chairing a meeting on the prevention of dengue at the Darbar Hall of the Civil Secretariat on Monday.
Punjab Chief Secretary, Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department Secretary Sarah Aslam, Lahore Commissioner Captain (retd) Usman Younis, Punjab Health Services Director General Dr Haroon Jehnagir attended the meeting while Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners joined via video link.
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Representatives from the police department, DGPR, livestock, PHA, DHA, Higher Education and other departments attended the meeting.
The health minister reviewed the arrangements for the control of dengue. Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department Secretary Sarah Alslam apprised the minister of the measures taken for the prevention and control of dengue as well as the status of treatment facilities for the patients in the province.
Department representatives briefed the Health Minister on the arrangements.
The minister said: “all suspected patients are tested as part of surveillance. If symptoms appear, people may contact 1033. All commissioners and deputy commissioners must personally supervise and monitor the dashboard of dengue themselves. Adequate medicines are available at government hospitals. I urge all people to take precautionary measure and implement dengue SOPs,” the minister said.
“The surveillance teas must be immediately mobilised to eliminate dengue larva across the province. Along with coronavirus, dengue must be prevented through a coordinated strategy. The administration will have to work very hard to overcome dengue.”
Published in The Express Tribune, April 6th, 2021.