Dengue threat: Hospitals to conduct special cleaning drive

Workshop for local government officials at Town Hall today.

LAHORE:

The Health Department has directed all hospitals and offices under it to spend Sunday cleaning to ensure that there are no mosquito breeding sites on their premises.

The health secretary has written to the heads of all offices as well as district and tehsil headquarters hospitals and autonomous institutions “to conduct a special cleanliness/sweeping day in connection with the anti-dengue derive,” said a press release.

They have been directed to focus on cleanliness and eradication of dengue breeding sites in their offices and institutions. In case mosquito larvae are found anywhere, they are to be “eliminated immediately”.

The Health Department has sent a special form regarding the cleaning activities to all those concerned and they must fill them out and fax or email them to the department by 2pm on Sunday.

Workshop

The Local Government Department has arranged a workshop in connection with the anti-dengue drive at the Town Hall for 11am on Sunday. The workshop is to be attended by MNAs and MPAs from Lahore, the Local Government secretary, the commissioner, the district coordination officer and the secretaries of Lahore’s 150 union councils. At the end of the workshop, the media will be briefed about measures taken for the elimination of dengue.

Special schools

Special Education Secretary Abdullah Sumbal has said that all schools for special children are being sprayed with insecticide on the directions of the chief minister. Addressing a meeting on Saturday, he directed officers to supervise the spraying campaign. He said he would visit all the schools to ensure that anti-dengue measures have been taken.

Sumbal said that September 2 would be observed as Anti-Dengue Day and people would be given information on how to avoid dengue. He said that seminars would be held in special children’s schools on August 30. He said 40 officers would be trained by experts to ensure the implementation of guidelines and protective measures. He said that students would be sent to people’s homes to inform them of anti-dengue measures.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 26^th, 2012.