LAHORE: Advisor to Chief Minister Punjab on Health Kh. Salman Rafique on Tuesday said that all the government departments had been working vigorously to control dengue virus.
Presiding over a meeting of Cabinet Committee on Dengue in Civil Secretariat Committee Room here, he said that doctors of government hospitals of Rawalpindi and Multan have saved hundreds of lives by providing medical treatment to dengue patients.
He advised the departments to continue their efforts for controlling dengue.
The meeting was briefed about the dengue situation in the province especially in Rawalpindi, Multan and Lahore.
Additional Director General Health Dengue Control Dr. Islam Zafar told that dengue situation is gradually normalizing and there is a substantial improvement in this regard.
He informed that only three cases have been reported in Rawalpindi during the last 24 hours whereas in Multan the situation is also normalizing and few cases had been reported during the last two weeks and situation is under control.
Dr. Islam Zafar further said that due to vigorous dengue surveillance in Rawalpindi and Multan the situation is improving rapidly.
Prof. Dr. Wasim Akram Incharge Chief Minister's Dengue Research Cell said that there were apprehensions that dengue situation would become worse but due to tireless efforts of all the concerned departments, the situation is under control.
Dr. Islam Zafar informed that from Ist January 2015 to 23rd November a total of 4214 confirmed dengue cases have been reported in Punjab, out of which 300 patients came from other provinces which were treated in the public sector hospitals of Punjab.
He informed that during the current year, 3272 dengue patients were reported in Rawalpindi, 358 in Multan and 114 patients in Lahore whereas seven death occurred due to dengue in Punjab out of which six patients died in Rawalpindi and one female patient died in Lahore.
The meeting was informed that regional Dengue Expert Advisory Group (DEAG) has been set up under the supervision of Vice Chancellor Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto University Islamabad, Prof. Dr. Javed Akram.
The Regional DEAG would provide guidelines and case management training to the doctors of Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
Kh. Salman Rafique directed that an immediate meeting of Technical Advisory Committee should be called to evolve strategy for controlling dengue in the next season.
He directed that SoPs should also be reviewed keeping in view the gaps and shortcomings detected in the current season.
Besides members Punjab Assembly Lubna Faisal and Pir Ashraf Rasool, senior officers of all the concerned departments including Director General Health Punjab, Dean Institute of Public Health, Public Health experts, epidemiologists and members of Dengue Expert Advisory Group, attended the meeting.
District Coordintion Officers (DCOs) of Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Multan and Gujranwala participated in the meeting through video link.
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