LAHORE: Five more patients tested positive for dengue fever in the city on Sunday taking the number of reported cases in the Punjab since March to 123.
A Health Department spokesperson said that 25 patients were currently under treatment at various hospitals. The rest, he said, had recovered and had been discharged from the hospitals. He said no death had occurred due to dengue fever this year.
Commissioner Jawad Rafique Malik has ordered the officials concerned to take stern action against officers found showing negligence or not participating in the weekly and fortnightly anti-dengue meetings at the town level.
He was presiding over a meeting to review the anti-dengue arrangements in Wagha Town.
Chief Minister’s Special Advisor on Health Khawaja Salman Rafique, MPA Rana Tajammul Hussain, Mian Naveed Anjum, Waseem Qadir, Chief Entomologist Dr Sajjad Dara, Wagha Town administrator, Wahga Town TMO, officers of the Water and Sanitation Agency, the Punjab Horticulture Authority, the Lahore Waster Management Company, Civil Defence and Education and members of the Emergency Response Committee were also present.
The commissioner urged the officers to remain alert and monitor the anti dengue arrangements. He directed health executive district officer to keep sufficient stock of insecticides and maintain proper record of its utilisation.
He also directed the Wagha Town TMO and the entomologist to maintain a close liaison with the officials of the city district government (CDGL), the Health Department and other departments concerned to solve any problem they faced.
The Punjab Information Technology Board officers presented a report in the meeting. They said that 178 Android phones had been provided to CDGL officials and other departments.
Earlier, the Wagha Town administrator briefed the meeting about anti-dengue arrangements.
Rafique said that the presence of dengue larvae could not be ruled out in the rainy season. He said the detection of dengue larvae should be the officials’ target. He said the administrative staff or the Health Department officials could not control the menace alone. He urged all segments of society to fulfill their responsibilities in this regard.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 17th, 2012.
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