Law minister become busy to eradicate dengue rather to maintain law & order

Lahore: Punjab Minister for Law and Local Government, Rana Sanaullah Khan has said that dengue surveillance of 34329 houses has been carried out so far, while indoors spray (IRS) and fogging would be carried out at high-risk union councils on the recommendations of Technical Advisory Committee.

The Minister said that, as a result of timely steps taken by the Punjab Government, the number of high-risk union councils have been reduced from 24 to 19. He informed that pamphlets, brochures and household materials would be distributed in very house in order to increase awareness of the people with regard to dengue fever.

Rana Sanaullah was presiding over Central Emergency Response Committee meeting for Dengue at 8-Club Road, here today. Provincial Minister for Health Khalil Tahir Sindhu, Minister for Education Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan, Minister for Food, Bilal Yasin, MNAs and MPAs from Lahore, Additional Chief Secretary, Secretaries, IG Punjab, Commissioner & DCO Lahore, VC King Edward Medical College University Prof, Dr. Faisal Masood and other concerned officers attended the meeting.

Rana Sanaullah said that all government machinery has been activated, throughout the province, to ensure dengue control, while all arrangements, with regard to Anti-Dengue Day, on Sunday 3^rd November 2013, have been completed. He said Anti-Dengue day would include awareness walks at the town levels, which would be attended by elected public representatives, District Administrative Officers and representatives of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs).

The Minister directed Secretary Auqaf to exhort Khatibs of mosques to raise awareness among the people against dengue during their sermons on Friday. He further directed summoning of Town Emergency Response Committee meetings twice a week, on Tuesday and Wednesday. He said apart from house surveillance, larva has also been checked at 3424 different places in the city as well.

Rana Sanaullah said that, on the occasion of Anti-Dengue Day, all towns would conduct dengue awareness walks in their respective areas at 9:00am, while a Council Manager would setup his own camp in every union council, and would ensure distribution of dengue awareness material, surveillance activities, fogging spray, besides public announcement. He said the Members of Town Emergency Response Committee would visit various dengue camps during the day. Commissioner Lahore informed the meeting that indoor surveillance have been completed in ten societies, where special checking of parks, streets, nurseries, graveyards and tyre shops have also been carried out. Rana Sanaullah Khan said that media plays a pivotal role in war against dengue, and its cooperation would be sought at every level.