80% dengue larvae has been detected from room-coolers : Cabinet Committee on Dengue

Lahore:  80% dengue larvae has been detected from room-coolers therefore, people should drain out water from room-coolers to control breeding of dengue mosquitoes. He said that the tireless efforts made by the provincial departments under the dynamic leadership of Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif for dengue control are unprecedented.

It was stated in a meeting of Cabinet Committee on Dengue at Civil Secretariat, today. Director General Health, Dr. Zahid Pervez, DCO Lahore, Capt. (Retd.) Muhammad Usman, senior officers of the concerned departments, Town Officers and Dengue experts attended the meeting.

Khawaja Salman Rafique said that due to stagnant floodwater in Muridke and Ferozwala, there is an increase in the number of patients and cases of detection of dengue larvae in these areas. He directed concerned officers and tehsil administration to accelerate anti-dengue activities and keep a vigilant eye on the situation.

DCO Lahore Capt. (Retd.) Muhammad Usman while briefing the meeting informed that more than 21 thousand houses were checked on a single day i.e September 16 and dengue larva was detected at 119 houses. Similarly, outdoor dengue surveillance was carried out at more than 8000 places and dengue larvae were found at 73 places. Moreover, during the period from 1^st to 16^th September, 2014, 190 FIRs were lodged and 28 arrests were made in Lahore over violation of dengue regulations.

Khawaja Salman Rafique further said that dengue has become a social problem therefore, community mobilization is essential to overcome the issue. He directed the officers of School Education and Higher Education to chalk out a program of social work for Secondary and Intermediate students. He said that these students would visit houses in the neighborhood of their educational institutions accompanied by their teachers for creating public awareness and community mobilization. Senior officers of all the concerned departments and in-charge of towns, as well as Cantonment Boards administration, EDO Health Lahore and other agencies apprised the meeting of the measures taken by their departments for dengue control.

Additional Director General Health Vector Born Disease, Dr. Islam Zafar informed that 61 confirmed dengue patients have been reported till 16^th September while 139 dengue patients had been reported during the corresponding period in 2013. He further informed that at present nine dengue patients are under treatment in Mayo Hospital while four are admitted in Holy Family Hospital Rawalpindi and the condition of all the patients is satisfactory.