government has fulfilled its responsibilities of creating awareness against dengue

Lahore: Advisor to Chief Minister Punjab on Health, Khawaja Salman Rafique has said that government has successfully fulfilled its responsibilities of creating awareness against dengue among the masses during the last four years. He said that massive awareness campaigns have been launched on print and electronic media as well as seminars and walks also been organized by every department and educational institutions, now it is the responsibility of the community to come-forward for dengue control and keep clean their houses, besides removing dengue hot spots from their houses. He said that open water containers, room-coolers and other articles are the source of dengue larva breeding. He said that housewives can play a pivotal role in this regard.

He said this while addressing a seminar organized at Govt. Fatima Jinnah Girls Degree College, Chonna Mandi in connection with anti-dengue day, here on Sunday. Members Punjab Assembly Ghazali Saleem Butt, Kiran Dar, officers of Ravi Town, teachers and students of the college attended the seminar. Khawaja Salman Rafique urged upon the students that they should convey the message of cleanliness door-to-door and act as ambassador against dengue. He further said that under the guidance and leadership of Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif, the government departments, district administrations and experts are busy to control dengue day and night but without full participation of community control of dengue is not possible.

He informed that at present  about 2 billion people are at risk to dengue and only in Malaysia 62 thousand dengue patients have been reported, similarly in Philippine 28 thousand patients have been reported so far. He said that anti-dengue campaign launched by the government is successfully being carried out and 47 confirmed dengue patients have been reported during 2014 so far. Members Punjab Assembly Ghazali Saleem Butt and Kiran Dar also spoke on the occasion and highlighted the steps taken by the government for dengue control. They stressed the need of enthusiastic participation of the general public in this regard.

Advisor to Chief Minister Punjab on Health Kh. Salman Rafique has said that provision of medical treatment facilities are being ensured in the flood affected areas and the whole staff of the department including secretary health is in the field to ensure these facilities.

He said this, after visiting the flood hit villages of district Chiniot. Kh. Salman Rafique said that Chief Minister Punjab personally visiting all the areas and he is busy to provide relief to the flood affectees and all the resources are being utilized for this purpose.

Earlier, Kh. Salman Rafique visited medical relief camps set up by the District Health Authorities in villages Babu Rai, Jamia Abad, Jamia Muhammadi Sharif and other affected areas of tehsil Bhawana, district Chiniot. Kh. Salman Rafique inspected the relief camps, he checked the attendance of the staff, availability of life saving drugs, anti snake venom, ORS packets and water purifying tablets aquapura. On this occasion, he directed EDOs Health of all flood affected districts to personally monitor the medical relief camps for ensuring proper health care to the people. Kh. Salman Rafique saidm on the instructions of Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif, vaccination of children upto five years of age in the flood marooned areas has been started on war footing basis. He directed that this vaccination campaign should be further accelerated and arrangements be made to ensure access of vaccinators to each and every house.