PESHAWAR: The government has decided to launch a special project to improve general sanitation, drainage and water supply system in dengue hotspots of Peshawar to put brakes on dengue fever on durable basis.

The decision was made in a meeting held here on Tuesday with Chief Minister Mahmood Khan in the chair, a statement said.

The meeting reviewed the latest dengue situation in the province with special focus on Peshawar division, anti-dengue measures being taken by the departments concerned and district administrations. It also reviewed the implementation status of the decisions made in the last meeting to curb dengue.

Ministers Taimur Saleem Jhagra and Kamran Bangash, administrative secretaries of relevant departments, Peshawar commissioner, director general of Peshawar Development Authority and officials of health department attended the meeting.

CM orders relevant departments to enforce anti-dengue plan

The chief minister stressed the need for undertaking a special project to improve general sanitation, drainage and drinking water supply system on war footings in the dengue hotspots of Peshawar.

He directed the health department to immediately identify such interventions in those areas. He ordered the local government department to prepare a PC-I for those interventions.

He directed the quarters concerned to ensure implementation of all activities under the proposed project by March next year.

He ordered the Peshawar commissioner to personally monitor implementation of the project.

He also directed all the divisional commissioners to monitor anti-dengue activities in their respective divisions.

He said that report of all such activities be sent to Chief Minister Secretariat on regular basis.

Mahmood Khan said that government would provide all the required resources on priority basis to contain dengue in the province.

However, he said that all relevant departments would have to fulfil their responsibilities in effective manners to implement anti-dengue plan in letter and spirit. He added that in case of any negligence, strict action will be taken against the responsible officials.

The meeting was informed that dengue tests were being carried free of cost in the three tertiary level hospitals of Peshawar. Peshawar DHO has been replaced with another one and an enquiry committee has been constituted to look into the funds utilised by various departments for anti-dengue activities.

Anti-dengue activities are being carried out in consultation with the elected representatives in the affected areas whereas fortnightly progress review meetings are being chaired by the provincial minister.

More than 8,000 dengue cases have so far been reported with nine deaths in the province.

More than 650 teams are working for larval mechanical sweeping in the hotspots of Peshawar.

Published in Dawn, November 10th, 2021