Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif. PHOTO: FILE
Strict action will be taken against the officials whose negligence has led to deaths due to dengue fever, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said on Monday while addressing a meeting at the Civil Secretariat to review the recent dengue fever outbreak in the province.
The meeting continued for two hours. Provincial Ministers Rana Sanaullah Khan, Khalil Tahir Sindhu, Rana Mashhood Ahmed Khan, Bilal Yasin, Mian Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman, Col (retd) Shuja Khanzada, several MNAs and MPAs, the chief secretary, the inspector general of police and secretaries of various departments attended the meeting.
He also addressed a meeting in Rawalpindi on the issue through a teleconference. He directed the participants to fully implement the strategy to eradicate dengue fever. Sharif told members of the Provincial and National Assemblies to supervise affected areas and ensure the provision of medical facilities to dengue fever patients in hospitals. He said committees had been constituted to monitor hospitals in Rawalpindi and he would visit Rawalpindi on Tuesday (today) to review arrangements.
“Responsibilities have been assigned to provincial ministers and secretaries to monitor anti-dengue measures in Rawalpindi, Sheikhupura and Lahore,” said Sharif, “They will present a report on this daily.”
The chief minister reprimanded some participants at the meeting for presenting fake data regarding dengue cases and steps taken to control the epidemic.
He said the campaign would continue as a movement. “Deaths due to dengue fever are tragic,” Sharif said, “Any negligence on the part of relevant departments cannot be ignored.” He expressed disappointment with elected representatives for failing to control dengue.
The chief minister said the government had taken effective steps to control the dengue outbreak when it first emerged in 2011. Arrangements had been made to train doctors, nurses, paramedical staff and department officials. A system had been evolved to eliminate the scourge on a permanent basis.
“There were no deaths due to dengue fever in 2012, and the number of dengue patients was negligible,” he said, “But the campaign was not continued well this year and the disease has now resurfaced.” While doctors and medical staff had led an effective campaign through their untiring efforts two years ago, they became lax this year and that led to an increase in the number of dengue fever patients, he said.
He said the role of the masses was of key importance. Last year, people took an active part in the anti-dengue campaign. The current situation demands strict dengue mosquito control, he said, people need to keep their houses clean and drain any accumulated water. They should also follow the directives issued by the relevant departments in this regard.
Sharif said that he had monitored the dengue fever situation carefully even while he had been on a foreign tour. He said he visited Rawalpindi the day he got back and held a meeting in Lahore to review the dengue fever situation.
He said that Lahore, Sheikhupura and Rawalpindi had been affected the most. He told elected representatives to visit their constituencies and review the situation.
All complaints received on the Punjab Helpline 080099000 must be addressed on priority, the chief minister said, and all departments must make concerted efforts to implement anti-dengue measures.
He directed officials to ensure regular surveillance of junkyards, tyre shops, construction sites, nurseries, graveyards and sites for dumping solid waste. He said regular sprays and fogging must be carried out in sensitive residential areas. He expressed indignation on the unavailability of anti-dengue kits to people on time. The relevant committees should have taken immediate steps in this regard, he said.
The chief minister said the ban on wearing half-sleeve shirts in schools must be strictly implemented. He also issued instructions to carry out de-silting of drains passing through cities and requested a report on that in seven days.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 5th, 2013.
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