LAHORE: The dengue fever claimed six more lives, including five in Lahore and one in Rawalpindi during the last 24 hours taking the toll to 75 so far. In the last 24 hours, 456 dengue patients were reported across the province including 333 from Lahore. Cases were also reported from Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Sahiwal, Sheikhupura, Kasur, Attock.
The health department has stepped up operations across the province to eradicate dengue larvae and stop the spread of dengue, a spokesman of the primary and secondary healthcare department, said, adding: "There are over 2,140 dengue patients in hospitals across the province and sufficient number of beds is available to provide treatment to the dengue patients."
Moreover, Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar, while issuing directions to the health minister and the provincial administration, has directed to ensure strict compliance of the dengue surveillance plan adding that every resource should be utilized for this purpose.
The CM directed the divisional commissioners and deputy commissioners to personally supervise the anti-dengue drive and added that concerned officials should ensure their availability in the field to speed up the efforts. Similarly, clinical management should be fully focused to treat patients and they should be provided with every facility in the hospitals for ensuring the best treatment, he added.
The anti-dengue SOPs, devised in the light of WHO guidelines, should be implemented and effective steps be continued to deal with this disease, he added and emphasised that negative dengue effects should be minimized.
"I am saddened over the loss of precious human lives and the line departments should fully strive to implement the anti-dengue plan for ensuring the health and safety of the citizens, stated Usman Buzdar. Desired results will have to be achieved through collective efforts against the dengue disease," he emphasised.
The officials of best performing districts will be appreciated as there is no room for any negligence and departmental action would be taken in case of poor performance, concluded the CM.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021