Treatment of dengue patients: government will not allow hoarding, overcharging of medicines

Punjab Health Secretary Mohammad Jehanzeb Khan has said that the Punjab government will not allow hoarding and overcharging of medicines and drips used in the treatment of dengue patients. Director General Health Punjab has been assigned the task of ensuring the provision of medicines on fix rates, he said while addressing a media briefing regarding dengue here on Tuesday.
KEMU Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Asad Aslam Khan, Director General Health Dr Aslam Chaudhry, Director Health Information Management Dr Anwar Janjua and MS Dr Zahid Pervaiz were also present on this occasion. The Secretary told the media that 309 dengue patients have been cured and discharged from various hospitals of Lahore during the last 24 hours out of which 110 from Mayo Hospital, 54 from LGH, 16 from Government Mian Munshi Hospital, 51 from Services Hospital, 15 from Jinnah Hospital, 58 from Sir Ganga Ram Hospital and 5 patients have been discharged from Children Hospital.
Replying to a question, he said the government is taking measures regarding dengue from today by considering it a challenge of next year and the health department is paying special attention for prevention of this disease. "People will also have to take part like a movement to cope with the challenge of eradication of dengue," he added.
He made it clear that no delay would be tolerated in larviciding and spray schedule for controlling dengue and strict action would be taken against those showing negligence. Jehanzeb Khan gave a briefing to the journalists on multimedia and presented a comparison of last many weeks. He said due to public participation in the campaign and the government measures against dengue, the situation is improving and now visible decrease in the dengue patients is observed. "The health department and medical experts are paying full attention to reduce the number of deaths due to dengue. Under Dengue Control Regulations 2011, it has been declared mandatory for general practitioners and family physicians to take training for eradication of dengue and legal action can also be taken against those not taking the training.
According to him, 18835 dengue patients have been recovered and discharged from various hospitals in Punjab out of which 16091 belonged to Lahore. As many as 169 confirmed dengue patients have been reported in Punjab during the last 24 hours out of which, 137 belonged to Lahore. The total number of dengue patients in the province has risen to 19119 out of which 16231 are from Lahore. Around 1036 dengue patients are under treatment in different hospitals of the province, out of which 871 are admitted in the hospitals of Lahore.
"According to the information of the health department, report of one death of a suspected patient of dengue has been received from Mayo Hospital during the last 24 hours, thus total number of deaths due to dengue in Punjab is 277, while 244 in Lahore," he added.