CM Punjab announces compensation for dengue victims

RECORDER REPORT

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif announced financial assistance of Rs.500,000 for the heirs of each person who died of dengue virus.

He made this announcement while presiding over a meeting of emergency committee, which was held here on Saturday to review the steps taken for eradication of dengue virus in the province, disclosed an official. Members of both national and provincial legislators, Punjab Chief Secretary Nasir Mahmood Khosa, provincial secretaries of various departments and experts attended the meeting.

Addressing the meeting, the Chief Minister said that the drive for eradication of dengue virus is in full swing in which elected representatives, officers and experts are working as a social worker. "Those doctors, paramedical staff and officers of the departments concerned who demonstrated best performance in the war against dengue will be encouraged and are actively serving the ailing humanity in the hour of trial. Examples of public service witnessed during the campaign against dengue virus are unprecedented," he added.

He urged that the same passion of serving the ailing humanity should be adopted on permanent basis for eradication of dengue and other epidemics. He said besides government hospitals, training of doctors and general practitioners of private and trust hospitals for dengue has been made compulsory and training programmes have been started in various hospitals by evolving a programme in this regard, in which experts are imparting training to the senior doctors regarding treatment of dengue. "The previous practice of visits of consultants and professors to the hospitals in the evening has been revived, which will further improve caring of patients and will also leave positive psychological effects on patients," he added.

He disclosed that an effective action plan has been evolved for taking action against the owners of used tyres throughout the province, under which besides 2,700 tyre shops, action has been taken against godowns and government departments for failing to act against dengue virus in Lahore. He said an awareness campaign has also been launched among the masses regarding dengue virus in graveyards and the people has been asked to cooperate in this regard.

According to him, imported six cell separators have been installed in the hospitals of Multan, Rahim Yar Khan, Bahawalpur, Rawalpindi and Lahore, which have starting functioning. Dispensaries have also been mobilised for providing curative facilities to the people at their doorstep and 18 dispensaries of Punjab Labour Department have also started working. A special campaign of Solid Waste Management for removing garbage from big plots of the city is continuing and also a system needs to be evolved to ensure that the garbage once removed from these plots do not accumulate again. In this connection, a committee comprising elected representatives should devise a strategy. He said certificates with regard to elimination of larvae from all hospitals of the city should be issued and submitted in the meeting on daily basis. On identification of larvae in the pond of University of Engineering and Technology, he directed to immediately send a team there.

Earlier, the Punjab Chief Secretary informed the meeting that the arrangements have been completed to send the doctors abroad for training of dengue whereas training programme for the doctors of private hospitals has also been evolved.

The concerned provincial Secretaries gave a detailed briefing regarding dengue situation, steps taken for its eradication and provision of curative facilities in the hospitals of the province.