Excessive rains would cause more more dengue breeding:Prof. Faisal Masood

Lahore: Advisor to Chief Minister Punjab on Health Kh. Salman Rafique has said that government departments and the people have to work hard with the spirit of 2011 for controlling dengue spread during the current year. He directed that intensive dengue surveillance is required to check the dengue mosquito breeding during coming monsoon.

He said this, while presiding over a meeting of Technical Committee on dengue at the office of the Directorate General Health Services Punjab here on Monday.

Besides, Secretary Health Dr. Ijaz Munir, DG Health Dr. Zahid Pervaiz, Chairman Dengue Expert Advisory Group and VC King Edward Medical University Prof. Faisal Masood, Additional Director Epidemic Response and Control Dr. Jaffar Ilyas, Chief Entomologist and Incharge CM Dengue Research Cell Prof. Waseem Akram, Dean Institute of Public Health Prof. Muaz Ahmed, Prof. of Epidemiology, IPH Prof. Farkhanda Kokab, MSs / AMSs of government hospitals, EDOs Health of different districts, DG Punjab Information Technology Board Amir Chaudhry and other officers attended the meeting.

Kh. Salman further directed that all government hospitals should send accurate data with complete home as well as work place address of the suspected and confirmed dengue patients to the department for easy case response and vector surveillance.

Prof. Faisal Masood expressed his concern about the forecast of excessive rains and said that due to excessive rains there are chances of more dengue breeding and more dengue case reporting. He stressed the need of strict vector surveillance and sweeping of dengue eggs and larva to ensure control on dengue breeding in coming monsoon.

He informed that DEAG has completed training of master trainers in clinical management and more than nine hundred master trainers are ready to train further doctors and nurses.

Kh. Salman Rafique directed that EDOs Health should contact with private hospitals and General Practitioners for training and data collection of dengue patients. He directed that EDOs Health and administrative doctors of government hospitals to read dashboard of PITB daily to update their information about the dengue patients. He further directed that Eliza tests at government hospitals should be carried out on daily basis for confirmation of dengue patients and Eliza tests should be made available in government hospitals’ labs in two shifts.

He said that Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif has keen interest in dengue control and zero tolerance would be adopted in connection with the dengue control and the provision of treatment facilities to the dengue patients.

Kh. Salman further said that awareness regarding dengue is being provided to the people for the last four years, therefore, people have to show their responsibility in keeping their houses clean and remove dengue breeding cites from their houses.  He said that dengue regulations will be enforced equally on everyone.

Dr. Jaffar Ilyas informed that so far only three dengue confirmed patients have been reported in Punjab which belong to Lahore, Sialkot and Multan whereas 48 suspected dengue patients have been reported in the province.

While addressing the meeting, Secretary Health Dr. Ijaz Munir directed the officers to take every step for controlling dengue virus. He directed that the officers should inform about their problems such as shortage of finances as well as human resources and logistics so that it could be resolved. He warned that no excuse would be entertained during the anti dengue campaign or in the peak season of dengue.