RAWALPINDI: The Punjab health minister on Thursday formed a district emergency response committee comprising national and provincial lawmakers in Rawalpindi to monitor the anti-dengue drive, as the administration officially imposed a dengue emergency in the district.

The formal notification for the emergency was issued on October 9 for implementation of the standard operating procedures to avoid the spread of dengue. The health emergency was declared after the DEN-2 variant of dengue virus in the district was found.

In light of this health emergency, the district administration and the District Health Authority have the authority to seal any building if dengue larvae are found on its premises. Through this notification, hospitals and clinics are bound to treat patients as per the SOPs issued by the Punjab government while vacations of government employees, who had to perform duties in the anti-dengue drive, will be cancelled.

Punjab Minister for Primary and Secondary Healthcare Khawaja Imran Nazir and Deputy Commissioner Dr Hassan Waqar Cheema inspected government offices on Thursday.

During the visit to the Islamabad Electric Supply Company (Iesco) at Marrir Chowk and Pakistan Railways’ cargo offices in Dhoke Ratta, dengue larvae were found on the premises and cases were filed against the officials concerned.

Khawaja Imran Nazir said that government offices would also be inspected and if dengue larvae were found, the administration would register cases against the heads of these offices to be followed by arrests.

“The dengue test fee has been fixed at Rs90 in the entire province and citizens should not pay any excess amount,” the minister claimed. He also inspected various hotels and shops in Saddar a day earlier and issued orders to register cases where dengue larvae were found.

During the briefing, the officials informed the minister that the number of dengue cases also increased in adjoining Islamabad. As many as 2,011 dengue cases have been reported in Islamabad during the current season even though its population was smaller compared to Rawalpindi where 2,466 cases had been reported.

It was further informed that most dengue patients from Islamabad, Attock, Chakwal, Murree and Jhelum reported to the three government-run hospitals. On Thursday, 78 dengue cases were reported in Rawalpindi and 63 in Islamabad. At present, only 340 patients are admitted to the hospitals.

District emergency response committee

Meanwhile, the district emergency response committee comprising parliamentarians has been formed. Parks and Horticulture Authority will be monitored by MNA Malik Abrar; hospitals would be checked by MNA Tahira Aurangzeb, MPAs Asia Naz, Asma Naz and Riffat Abbasi; Labour department by MPA Naeem Ejaz; Rawalpindi Waste Management Company by Sardar Naseem and Tahira Aurangzeb; Rawalpindi Cantonment Board by MPA Malik Iftikhar; Chaklala Cantonment Board by Malik Mansoor Afsar, Environment and Regional Transport Authority by Shazia Rizwan; Rawalpindi Development Authority by Haji Pervaiz; Wasa by Senator Nasir Butt; and the education authority by Tahira Mushtaq. MNA Qamarul Islam will monitor the district council.

According to the notification, these parliamentarians will monitor the work of the abovementioned departments for dengue prevention and send their reports on a daily basis to Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.

Published in Dawn, October 11th, 2024