Anti-dengue drive launched in Multan

District Co-ordination Officer (DCO) Multan Zahid Akhtar Zaman said on Tuesday that anti-dengue drive was successfully continued in the rural and urban areas of Multan and all available resources were being utilised to combat the dengue threat. He said this while reviewing the progress of ongoing anti-dengue drive launched in the rural and urban areas with the co-ordinated efforts of all related departments.
Community mobilisation is top priority of the administration in fighting against dengue and all the concerned departments have been involved to achieve this target successfully. Community mobilisation is in full swing and pamphlets containing information about preventive measures against dengue have been distributed in schools and education institutions in the rural and urban areas with the co-operation of Directorate of Education (DE). Traffic Police is also joining the drive very shortly and will start distribution of pamphlets among the residents, he added.
Officials of District Health Department, District Revenue Department, Local Government, Multan Development Authority (MDA) and Traffic Police were presented at the meeting. The officials of various departments apprised the DCO of the steps taken by them to ensure dengue free environment.
DHO and TMA officials informed the participants about the progress of anti-mosquito spray in the rural areas and chlorination of water supply schemes in the rural areas. DCO directed the officials to make co-ordinated efforts and continue anti-mosquito spray at the ponds and specific areas where it was necessary to ensure dengue free environment.
The meeting was informed that anti-mosquito spray was also in full swing in the rural areas and spray was also being carried out in the ponds anywhere in the rural areas. Chlorination of water supply schemes in the rural areas was also in progress.
It was informed that spray teams had also completed anti-mosquito spray at certain specific areas. DCO informed that he was monitoring the progress of drive on day-to-day basis. City District Government Multan (CDGM) has launched an extensive campaign against the spread of dengue virus, which will continue till November 2011.
All swimming pools in the city, running in private or government sector have been closed for a month while a central dengue monitoring cell has been established at Nishtar Hospital and a separate dengue cell at town level is to be set-up. DCO Multan Zahid Akhtar Zaman informed this in a briefing to media representatives here on Tuesday. He said extensive fumigation was being performed in city from September 13 with the help of spray vehicles.