July 28, 2008	Monday	Rajab 24, 1429

KARACHI, July 27: In view of the reports of recent deaths caused by dengue fever, Sindh health minister Dr Sagheer Ahmad has ordered the revival of the Sindh health department’s dengue monitoring cell to ensure a better surveillance of the disease and a mechanism to effectively handle the situation arising out of the mosquito-borne diseases.

Talking to Dawn on Saturday, Dr Ahmad said the woman’s death caused by dengue fever reflected that there was a need to create further awareness among the masses about the dengue viruses and their spread and significance of timely reporting to hospital and subsequent follow-ups by health practitioners.

He said he had already asked his department’s officials to reactivate the dengue monitoring cell that worked till last year.

The cell would not only collect relevant data on a day-to-day basis but would also coordinate with the hospitals for timely diagnosis and extension of treatment to patients suspected of suffering from hemorrhagic fever.

He said he had also asked the health department to ensure the implementation of one of his earlier directives that the EDOs of health should not only provide diagnostic facilities to suspected patients but should also ensure timely screening of patients against dengue and free provision of mega blood units to deserving cases. He said that since no medication was required for patients suffering from dengue fever, caused by the aedes egypti mosquitoes, the government would re-launch its public education campaigns and would inform the people through different sources how best to protect themselves, identify the symptoms and what to do or not to do if dengue symptoms were registered.

Polio cases

The health minister said the Sindh health department had also decided to go for antibody titers for children affected by poliovirus this year in the province. The exercise, to be taken in collaboration with the National Institute of Health, Islamabad, will help evaluate the response to immunity of polio-infected children and know the validity of vaccines administered to them.

The minister said he had talked to WHO representatives as well on the subject and they, too, had given their consent on the subject.

Earlier on Saturday Dr Ahmad presided over the first meeting of the health department’s steering committee on polio and expressed concern over the increase in confirmed polio cases and sought some mechanism that could ensure the maximum participation of health workers, parents and communities in anti-polio campaigns.

He said there was a need to know why parents denied vaccination of their wards under five years of age against the dreaded polio disease. He urged cable operators and TV channels to highlight the advantages of administering polio drops and harmful effects otherwise, particularly during the anti-polio campaign beginning on July 28.

Among others, Sindh health secretary Shafiq Ahmed Khoso, Special Secretary Dr Shafqat Abbasi, EDO for Health Karachi A.D. Sajnani, Project Director of the EPI Dr Mazhar Ali Khamesani and representatives of the WHO and Unicef attended the meeting.

The minister who presided over the steering committee meeting also called for the expansion of the polio committee by inducting into it representatives from other government departments such as local government, education and social welfare departments.

He directed that areas of Landhi, Korangi, Keamari and Baldia Town specially be monitored where people did not allow teams to administer polio drops.

“I personally, too, will visit and interview people in various localities to know about the workings pertaining to polio vaccination and will also order strict action against the officials concerned if parents complained about non-arrival of polio teams in their areas,” he said.

During the meeting he underlined the importance of routine immunization of children as well and asked the secretary of the Sindh health department to take steps for the inclusion of a subject on community medicines in the MBBS course.