Punjab health secretary finds flaws in anti-dengue measures in Pindi

Published September 21, 2019
Teachers and civil society members hold banners during an anti-dengue awareness walk on Sixth Road in Rawalpindi on Friday. — Online
Teachers and civil society members hold banners during an anti-dengue awareness walk on Sixth Road in Rawalpindi on Friday. — Online

RAWALPINDI: Punjab Primary and Secondary Healthcare Secretary retired Capt Mohammad Usman on Friday reprimanded the District Health Authority for spraying anti-dengue medicine in irrelevant areas and for poor dengue larvae surveillance in the garrison city.

He also asked teams to improve their working or else face departmental action.

During a visit to the dengue-hit areas, Mr Usman said: “Dengue expert teams will reach Rawalpindi from Lahore on Saturday to supervise the campaign as local teams were taking ineffective measures.”

Accompanied by Commissioner retired Capt Saqib Zafar and Rawalpindi Medical University Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Mohammad Umer, the provincial healthcare secretary visited Shah Khalid Colony, Wakeel Colony and other union councils to inspect the anti-dengue campaign.

Retired Capt Mohammad Usman found the teams possessing inaccurate record of dengue patients in the government-run hospitals and repeatedly carried out fumigation at the wrong sites.

Mr Usman reprimanded the District Health Authority chief executive officer and directed him to implement measures as per the standard operating procedures otherwise departmental action would be taken against him and the supervisors.

Experts from Lahore to supervise the campaign

He conducted dengue surveillance in five houses at Wakeel Colony and detected dengue larvae. He asked the anti-dengue teams to clear the area on war-footing.

He said dengue experts would arrive today from Lahore, however, he would himself monitor the virus-hit areas and check work of the teams.

“The special teams have also been formed which will inspect the work in plainclothes,” he added.

Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner Sardar Saifullah Khan Dogar said stringent measures were being adopted to ensure satisfactory surveillance in Rawalpindi district, especially in the most affected areas where dengue patients had been reported.

He stated this during his visit to Gulzar-i-Quaid on Friday.

Additional Deputy Commissioner (headquarters) Saima Younis, District Health Authority CEO Dr Suhail Ahmed Chaudhry and other officers of the administration and health department accompanied him.

He visited different houses and inspected the compliance of SoPs issued by the provincial government to combat dengue. He also inspected the rooftops and water reservoirs and asked the residents whether the indoor-residual spray had been carried out in areas where dengue cases were reported.

Sardar Saifullah Khan Dogar said indoor and outdoor surveillance should be carried out without any delay. Similarly, immediate case respond would also be ensured in the concerned area after any dengue case is detected.

The deputy commissioner asked residents of Gulzar-i-Quaid area if regular surveillance and follow-ups had been carried out by the sanitary patrols and survey teams of allied departments.

The deputy commissioner also visited the graveyard of Gulzar-i-Quaid and met people who expressed their satisfaction over the dengue control initiatives.

Additional Deputy Commissioner Headquarters Saima Younis gave a briefing to the deputy commissioner about the latest position of dengue surveillance and also pointed out feedback of citizens on measures.

Anti-dengue awareness walks

Deputy Commissioner Sardar Saifullah Khan Dogar led a walk organised in collaboration with the Rawalpindi Waste Management Company (RWMC) on Murree Road.

It was participated by artists from Rawalpindi and Islamabad Anjum Habib, Anjum Malik, Yar Mohammad, Masood Khawaja and others.

Speaking on the occasion, the deputy commissioner said citizens should ensure cleanliness in their homes and surroundings, especially in months of August and September with the view to safeguarding themselves from dengue and preventing breeding of mosquitoes.

“Dengue can only be defeated by adopting precautionary measures, therefore, each and every organisation, institution and citizen should play their role,” he said.

The government departments and educational institutions made special arrangements to observe the day. The health department, civic bodies and even police department had managed to hang banners in the city areas to educate people in this regard.

Published in Dawn, September 21st, 2019

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