ISLAMABAD: The Punjab government’s strategy for eradicating mosquito larvae before they matured has helped control the spread of the virus in Islamabad, the Minister for Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said on Tuesday.

During a meeting, the minister was told that so far this year, the dengue virus has not caused any deaths in the federal capital.

The CADD minister was told that an outdoor and indoor policy for preventing the spread of dengue is being followed in the federal capital. Outdoor monitoring teams visit various sites and destroy larvae and breeding sites while 300 lady health workers are deployed for destroying suspected indoor breeding sites.

He was told that 48 houses around the house from which a dengue case is reported and the nearby streets are also sprayed with anti-dengue medicines for destroying dengue breeding sites and larvae.

Most of the patients brought in to Islamabad’s hospitals are from the suburbs and adjoining districts, he was told.

Dr Chaudhry then formed a committee of the district governments of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and CADD to take various measures for controlling and eradicating the dengue virus in the twin cities.

Officers of the Municipal Corporation said that pre-emptive measures had been taken to stop the spread of the Congo virus in make shift markets for sacrificial animals that have been set up for coming Eid. They said a camp of medical experts has been established at the market in order to monitor the situation and provide medicines and sprays.

Also attending the meeting were the Mayor of Islamabad Sheikh Ansar Aziz, CDA officials and representatives of the district administrations of Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

Published in Dawn, August 31st, 2016