Surveillance activities should be accelerated to check the dengue

Lahore: Secretary Health Punjab, Arif Nadeem has directed that vector breeding, while targeted indoor spray also be conducted in those towns where dengue larva have been reported.

He stated this while presiding over a meeting of Technical Advisory Committee on Dengue in his office, here today. Besides, Addl. Secretary Health (Tech) Dr. Anwar Janjua, DG Health Punjab Dr. Nisar Ahmad Cheema, Dean Children Hospital Lahore Prof. Dr. Tahir Masood, Principal SIMS, Prof. Dr. Hamid But, Dean IPH Prof. Dr. Muaz Ahmad, Prof. Muhammad Ali of Services Hospital, MS Mayo Hospital Dr. Zahid Pervaiz, MS Services Hospital Dr. Rehana Malik, MS Lahore General Hospital Dr. Muhammad Hassan, EDO Health Lahore Dr. Inam ul Haq, EDO Health Rawalpindi Dr. Zaffar Gondal, EDO Health Sheikhupura Dr. Raffique Khan, EDO Health Faisalabad Dr. Abdul Rauf, EDO Health Nankana Dr. Mushtaq, EDO Health Multan Dr. Iftikhar Qureshi and other officers attended the meeting.

The experts informed the meeting that since the situation is normal therefore, there is no need to initiate thermal fogging for dengue control, but technical method should be applied for larvae-ciding, while targeted indoor spry strategy be adopted for dengue check. Secretary Health directed the City District Government to start indoor targeted spray immediately in Samanabad, Shalamar, Ravi Town and Wahga Town, from where dengue larva was reported. He said that government buildings and public schools should also be covered during the spray.

He directed that inspection should be conducted in the teaching hospitals to review the arrangements for medical treatment of dengue patients and functioning of High Dependency Units. He also directed that revised guidelines of Dengue Experts Advisory Group (DEAG) immediately be circulated among all the teaching hospitals. The meeting also decided to begin implementation on action plan for research on dengue mosquito.