Defeating dengue fever : ‘Govt has done its job, now it is the people’s turn’

Walks and seminars held to raise awareness regarding dengue fever.

LAHORE:

Most government departments remained open on Sunday in connection with the Anti-Dengue Day observed throughout the province on directions of Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif.

Several walks and seminars were organised to highlight steps people need to take to avoid dengue fever. Cleanliness drives were conducted in public buildings and stagnant water and solid waste removed from the premises.

Adviser to Chief Minister on Health Khwaja Salman Rafique addressed a dengue seminar at Fatima Jinnah Girls Degree College, Chuna Mandi. He said the government had fulfilled its obligation to create awareness regarding dengue fever in the last four years.

Mass awareness campaigns had been launched via print and electronic media, Rafique said. Government departments and educational institutes had organised several seminars and walks to raise awareness as well. “Now it is the responsibility of people to keep their houses clean and remove potential breeding sites for dengue mosquitoes from their houses.”

He said uncovered water containers and desert coolers were potential dengue larvae breeding sites.

Rafique said the chief minister had instructed government departments, district administrations and health officials to work hard to eliminate the threat of dengue fever. “But it is not possible unless we all work together to control the menace.”

He said around two billion people were at risk across the globe. Around 62,000 dengue fever patients were reported in Malaysia this year and 28,000 in Philippines. “Thanks to the government’s anti-dengue campaign, only 47 dengue patients have been reported in the Punjab this year.”

Members of Punjab Assembly Ghazali Saleem Butt and Kiran Dar addressed participants. They highlighted anti-dengue steps taken by the government to control dengue fever.

Health Services Director General Zahid Pervez supervised the cleanliness drive at the office of the Directorate of Health Services on Cooper Road.

A seminar was organised at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital. Dr Rashid Iqbal, focal person in charge of the anti-dengue drive, delivered a lecture on dengue fever patient care. Medical Superintendent Umer Farooq Baloch monitored cleanliness arrangements at the hospital.

The Punjab Institute of Mental Health on Jail Road held a seminar. PIMH Chief Executive Dr Nasir Mehmood Bhatti, Dr Nusrat Jabeen, Dr Razi Haider, Dr Imran Afzal also attended the seminar. Medical experts gave lectures on the neurological complications of dengue fever in patients.

Students, staff and faculty of the University of Health Sciences (UHS) staged a walk to sensitise people about the dengue virus and create awareness. UHS Registrar Asad Zaheer and other officials also participated in the walk. Participants carried placards and banners. The UHS registrar said that the university was working on keeping its campus a “dengue-free zone”. He said specialised equipment was used to carry out surveillance of mosquitoes on campus.

Behind bars

All 32 prisons across the Punjab were fumigated to eliminate dengue mosquitoes from jail premises.

Inspector General of Prisons Mian Farooq Nazeer said prison medical officers had been appointed focal persons for anti-dengue campaigns. He said all range DIGs and jail superintendents had been directed to obtain medicines to treat dengue haemorrhagic fever.

“Any prisoner with symptoms of dengue fever will be treated on emergency basis,” he said.  He said the chief secretary had ordered that all barracks, kitchens, factories, mosques, residential colonies, jail offices, interview sheds, lavatories and lawns around prisons be fumigated under the supervision of medical officers and jail superintendents.

Farooq said all jailers had been directed to use mosquito nets and repellents in the barracks to avoid dengue fever.

Lahore Range DIG Malik Mubashir said fumigation was being monitored daily and all-out efforts were being made to protect prisoners, jailers and their families from dengue fever. Kot Lakhpat Central Jail Senior Superintendent Asad Warriach and Camp Jail Superintendent Shahram Khan said prisons had been fumigated twice in line with the IG’s instructions.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 15^th, 2014.