Public health: Commissioners asked to monitor anti-dengue drive

Hospitals directed to take precautions to prevent vector growth on premises.

MULTAN:

The Punjab Healthcare Commission (PHC) on Thursday asked divisional commissioners to ascertain that hospitals and clinics operating in their areas were complying with the instructions of the government and referring dengue fewer cases to the relevant agencies.

Stressing the need for correct maintenance of records to ensure prompt submission of statistics to the government, the PHC office bearers, in a press release, urged the district officials to ensure regular monitoring of records.

On Thursday, several PHC inspection teams visited public and private sector hospitals to monitor quality of healthcare service delivery for dengue patients. They instructed the private hospitals to comply with the guidelines and standard operating procedures developed by the government to ensure proper treatment and prompt referrals of all dengue patients.

The hospitals were also directed to take proper precautions to prevent mosquito growth of the vector on their premises and ensure isolation of patients infected with the virus.

A PHC official said that the Commission later shared its data regarding private hospitals and general practitioners with the Punjab Information Technology Board. The data of respective divisions was also shared with Lahore and Rawalpindi commissioners, he said.

He said the commission was also investigating the death of a 37-year-old woman, who died in Model Town, apparently from dengue fever.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 8^th, 2013.