Battling dengue: Marked decrease recorded in dengue patients

159 dengue patients were reported in the province during last week.

LAHORE: A marked decrease has been recorded in the number of dengue patients across Punjab.

This was stated by health officials during a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Dengue, held at the Civil Secretariat on Monday.

Khawaja Salman Rafique, the adviser to chief minister on health, chaired the meeting.



The meeting was informed that 159 dengue patients had been reported from the province during last week compared to 287 in the previous week (ending on November 1).

The meeting was told that the dengue situation in 2014 was less severe than in 2013.

Health Additional Director General (Dengue Control) Dr Islam Zafar said that 1,218 confirmed dengue patients had been brought in various hospitals of Punjab so far. “Whereas, the number of dengue patients was 1,586 last year. Around 11 new patients were reported during the last 24 hours, including one in Lahore and 10 in Rawalpindi,” he said.

The Lahore and Rawalpindi Health EDOs informed the meeting about outdoor and indoor dengue surveillance activities. They said that measures were being taken for dengue control at town level.

Rafique expressed satisfaction with the steps being taken by the departments for dengue control. However, he stressed the need for making dengue surveillance system more effective in Rawalpindi and Sheikhupura.

Punjab Assembly members Pir Ashraf Rasool and Majid Zahoor, Health Director General Dr Zahid Pervaiz, Health Additional Secretary Dr Salman Shahid, Institute of Public Health (IPH) Dean Prof Moaz Ahmad, Dr Somia Iqtidar, Sheikhupura Health Department district officer, representatives of Special Branch, Metrological Department, the WASA, the Parks and Horticulture Authority, the Punjab Information Technology Board and the Cantonment Board attended the meeting.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 11^th, 2014.