District setup of Environmental Protection Department would be further strengthened

Lahore: Secretary Health Punjab Jawad Rafique Malik has said that additional resources would be provided to Environmental Protection Department for efficient dengue surveillance especially additional field staff will be provided to the department to strengthen the district set up of Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Multan and Sheikhupura. This additional staff would also discharge their services for the environmental protection duties.

He said that this while presiding over a meeting for strengthening of district setup of Environmental Protection Department to further improve dengue surveillance. Special Secretary Health Gulzar Hussain Shah, Director General Environmental Protection Department Javed Iqbal, Deputy Secretary Local Government Najeeb Aslam, Deputy Secretary Finance Dr. Noor-ul Ain, Deputy Secretary Budget & Accounts Health Department Sarfraz Ahmad and other concerned officers attended the meeting.

DG Environment Javed Iqbal informed that his department is responsible for dengue surveillance in the tyre-shops, junkyards, nurseries and warehouses. He said that there is a need to strengthen the district setup of Environmental Protection Department to conduct dengue surveillance in an effective manner.

It was decided in the meeting that district setup of Environmental Protection Department would be further strengthened and additional posts of districts officers, deputy district officers and other staff would be created in Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Multan and Sheikhupura.

Moreover, one vehicle to each district would also be provided.

Secretary Health made it clear that the additional staff would also perform duties for environmental protection and in dengue season, the officials would conduct dengue surveillance. Jawad Rafiq Malik directed that a summary be immediately prepared for this purpose to get approval from the concerned quarters.