Monsoon blues: ‘Greater cooperation needed to check dengue threat’
Officials instructed to drain rainwater from inundated areas.
LAHORE:
Adviser to Chief Minister on Health Salman Rafique said on Wednesday that the federal and the provincial government needed to cooperate to check the spread of dengue fever.
He was speaking during a meeting convened at the civil secretariat. He said the Health Department was willing to provide the federal government with technical information and guidelines regarding this. Additional Chief Secretary Amir Mirza and Director General Health Zahid Pervaiz attended the meeting. Several officials from federal departments were present on the occasion.
Health Vector Borne Disease Director General Islam Zafar briefed the participants regarding the current dengue fever situation and steps taken to control it. Mirza said greater cooperation between the federal and the provincial government was necessary to overcome the challenge. He said all federal departments should ensure that standard operating procedures regarding dengue were adhered to at their premises and employee colonies.
Mirza said this was necessary to eradicate dengue mosquito nests. He said federal departments should initiate dengue awareness drives for the benefit of their employees. Mirza said the provincial government was ready to provide them with literature regarding dengue control.
Rafique directed railway officials to ensure that workshops and inoperative carriages were cleaned regularly. He urged them to ensure that water was drained and solid waste disposed from railway premises to curb mosquito breeding. Pervaiz said the department was willing to assist federal government hospitals in treating dengue patients.
Separately, Rafique instructed officials on Wednesday to personally monitor dengue surveillance team to make them more effective.
He was presiding over a meeting of the cabinet committee on dengue. Rafique directed Water and Sanitation Agency and Parks and Horticulture Authority officials to ensure that rainwater was drained from inundated areas to prevent mosquito breeding. Parliamentary Secretary on Health Imran Nazir, Additional Chief Secretary Amir Mirza, Commissioner Rashid Langrial, Health Director General Zahid Pervaiz, several lawmakers, secretaries, additional secretaries and department officials attended the meeting. They were briefed on the measures taken to curb dengue.
They were briefed on the arrangements made to dispose solid waste, treat dengue patients and drain rainwater from inundated areas. They were informed that 32 dengue cases had been recorded this year till September in comparison to a hundred cases last year.
Mirza instructed officials to ensure that Town Emergency Response Committee meetings were held daily in the evening to review the performance of dengue surveillance teams. He instructed officials to participate in the meetings regularly. Mirza informed those present that zero-periods were being held in educational institutions and arrangements for dengue awareness walks and seminars had been finalised.
Rafique instructed officials to mow grass in cemeteries. He directed Auqaf officials to remove room coolers from mosques as dengue mosquitoes nested there. Rafique said 52 per cent of larvae detected were found nesting in coolers. He said confiscated vehicles parked at Rawalpindi police lines should be removed immediately. Rafique instructed officials to carry out dengue control activities with renewed vigour following the monsoon rains.
Professor Muhammad Ali of Dengue Expert Advisory Group said 200 doctors had been trained in patient management at the Services Institute of Medical Sciences. Punjab Information Technology Board Director General Amir Chaudhry said one million anti-dengue activities had been uploaded at the dashboard. He said complaints received on the health line had been addressed.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 11th, 2014.
Adviser to Chief Minister on Health Salman Rafique said on Wednesday that the federal and the provincial government needed to cooperate to check the spread of dengue fever.
He was speaking during a meeting convened at the civil secretariat. He said the Health Department was willing to provide the federal government with technical information and guidelines regarding this. Additional Chief Secretary Amir Mirza and Director General Health Zahid Pervaiz attended the meeting. Several officials from federal departments were present on the occasion.
Health Vector Borne Disease Director General Islam Zafar briefed the participants regarding the current dengue fever situation and steps taken to control it. Mirza said greater cooperation between the federal and the provincial government was necessary to overcome the challenge. He said all federal departments should ensure that standard operating procedures regarding dengue were adhered to at their premises and employee colonies.
Mirza said this was necessary to eradicate dengue mosquito nests. He said federal departments should initiate dengue awareness drives for the benefit of their employees. Mirza said the provincial government was ready to provide them with literature regarding dengue control.
Rafique directed railway officials to ensure that workshops and inoperative carriages were cleaned regularly. He urged them to ensure that water was drained and solid waste disposed from railway premises to curb mosquito breeding. Pervaiz said the department was willing to assist federal government hospitals in treating dengue patients.
Separately, Rafique instructed officials on Wednesday to personally monitor dengue surveillance team to make them more effective.
He was presiding over a meeting of the cabinet committee on dengue. Rafique directed Water and Sanitation Agency and Parks and Horticulture Authority officials to ensure that rainwater was drained from inundated areas to prevent mosquito breeding. Parliamentary Secretary on Health Imran Nazir, Additional Chief Secretary Amir Mirza, Commissioner Rashid Langrial, Health Director General Zahid Pervaiz, several lawmakers, secretaries, additional secretaries and department officials attended the meeting. They were briefed on the measures taken to curb dengue.
They were briefed on the arrangements made to dispose solid waste, treat dengue patients and drain rainwater from inundated areas. They were informed that 32 dengue cases had been recorded this year till September in comparison to a hundred cases last year.
Mirza instructed officials to ensure that Town Emergency Response Committee meetings were held daily in the evening to review the performance of dengue surveillance teams. He instructed officials to participate in the meetings regularly. Mirza informed those present that zero-periods were being held in educational institutions and arrangements for dengue awareness walks and seminars had been finalised.
Rafique instructed officials to mow grass in cemeteries. He directed Auqaf officials to remove room coolers from mosques as dengue mosquitoes nested there. Rafique said 52 per cent of larvae detected were found nesting in coolers. He said confiscated vehicles parked at Rawalpindi police lines should be removed immediately. Rafique instructed officials to carry out dengue control activities with renewed vigour following the monsoon rains.
Professor Muhammad Ali of Dengue Expert Advisory Group said 200 doctors had been trained in patient management at the Services Institute of Medical Sciences. Punjab Information Technology Board Director General Amir Chaudhry said one million anti-dengue activities had been uploaded at the dashboard. He said complaints received on the health line had been addressed.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 11th, 2014.