Dengue situation in Punjab is improving day by day:Nayyar Mehmood

Lahore: Member Chief Minister’s Inspection Team Nayyar Mehmood has said that dengue situation in Punjab is improving day by day and all concerned government departments and institutions are taking steps for controlling dengue. He said that senior consultants and trained doctors are providing best treatment facilities to dengue patients in government hospitals.

He expressed these views while presiding over a meeting of cabinet committee on dengue. Additional Secretary Health(Technical) Dr. Salman Shahid, Additional Director General Health (Dengue Control) Dr. Islam Zafar, EDO Health Lahore Dr. Zulfiqar Ali, senior officers of Health Department, officers of In-charge departments of all towns, representatives of WASA, PHA, Cantonment Board and other institutions were present on the occasion.

Dr. Islam Zafar while giving a briefing to the meeting told that the number of confirmed dengue patients has become 1065 in the province so far whereas last year it was 1296. He told that most of the patients have been reported in Rawalpindi whereas in Lahore only 77 and in Sheikhupura 51 dengue patients have been reported during current year.

Dr. Islam Zafar told that 120 patients of dengue hemorrhagic fever and nine patients of dengue shock syndrome have been brought in the hospitals and due to hard work and professional devotion of doctors, serious patients were recovered and only one dengue patient has died. He told that on the direction of Chief Minister Punjab Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif, free treatment facilities are being provided to dengue patients in various hospitals of Rawalpindi and Lahore.

EDO Health Lahore gave a briefing about outdoor and indoor dengue surveillance and In-charge officers of all towns informed the meeting about the steps being taken at town level. The meeting was told that the breeding of new dengue larvae has reduced considerably. It was told that besides case response, targeted fogging is also carried out in those areas where dengue larvae are found or dengue patients reported.

Nayyar Mehmood while expressing satisfaction over the steps taken for eradication of dengue directed that anti-dengue activities should be continued for controlling dengue and to avoid any emergent situation.