Anti-dengue departmental support found lacking

12 patients under treatment in Mianwali

MIANWALI:

The Punjab Cabinet Committee on Prevention of Dengue, Infectious Diseases and Disaster Management has taken notice of non-cooperation by the allied departments in the anti-dengue activities in Rawalpindi and decided to surrender the negligent and uncooperative officers to their departments.

In a meeting of the committee preside over by Provincial Health Ministers Khawaja Salman Rafique and Khawaja Imran Nazir, in view of an increase in dengue cases in Rawalpindi, Punjab Chief Secretary Zahid Akhtar Zaman was assigned the duty of monitoring and asking the secretaries of the relevant departments to visit then city to oversee the anti-dengue activities.

Addressing the participants, Khawaja Salman Rafique said the allied departments must provide full support to curb dengue as there is no room for negligence. He said that heads of departments should be active in the field for monitoring, adding that the violation of dengue SOPs could cause a risk to all citizens. He said that surveillance should be intensified at the hotspots, including the Potohar town of Rawalpindi.

Khawaja Imran Nazir said the increase in dengue cases in Rawalpindi was due to heavy rains. He mentioned that non-cooperation by allied departments in anti-dengue activities in Rawalpindi is a cause of concern. He said the commissioners and deputy commissioners should chair the anti-dengue meeting and the departments should ensure the presence of their focal persons. He said that all departments should implement the SOPs for dengue prevention, and pamphlets should be distributed in schools and colleges to raise awareness.

The chief secretary ordered the authorities to expedite the elimination of larvae. He said the next 15 days are very important in curbing the disease.

WITH ADDITIONAL INPUT FROM APP