RAWALPINDI: As the tally of dengue patients in Rawalpindi district reached 51, the district administration has identified 25 more sensitive union councils for fogging and dengue surveillance.
The administration has asked the local parliamentarians to monitor the work and identify the loopholes in the campaign so that dengue preventive measures could be strengthened.
A total 117 dengue patients were reported in Rawalpindi division including 51 in Rawalpindi district, 56 in Murree, one in Jhelum, five in Chakwal and four in Attock district.
During the meeting, Deputy Commissioner Dr Hassan Waqar Cheema expressed strong displeasure over poor performance in dengue control efforts and directed the District Health Authority Chief Executive Officer Dr Ehsan Ghani to ensure that effective measures are taken for dengue control.
He also ordered immediate action against negligent officials. It was decided that parliamentarians will be placed to monitor dengue control activities in their respective constituencies
A special meeting regarding dengue prevention was held at the Deputy Commissioner’s Office, Rawalpindi, at 8:30am on Thursday. The meeting was jointly chaired by Deputy Commissioner Dr Hassan Waqar Cheema and Member National Assembly Tahira Aurangzeb.
Senator Nasir Mahmood Butt, MPA Raja Sagheer Ahmed, MPA Ms Tahseen Fawad, former Mayor Sardar Naseem Ahmed, Parliamentary Secretary for Information and Culture Punjab Ms Shazia Rizwan, along with other parliamentarians, also actively participated.
MNA Tahira Aurangzeb emphasized that elected representatives must cooperate with anti-dengue teams and highlight shortcomings in meetings to ensure tangible results. The meeting further resolved that the CEO Health will personally present a detailed report in the next session scheduled for 8:00 a.m. tomorrow.
Citizens were advised not to allow water to accumulate in their homes and offices, keep utensils, tyres, and flower pots dry, install nets on doors and windows, and ensure the use of mosquito repellents and sprays. The public was also urged to fully cooperate with anti-dengue teams so that this threat can be effectively eradicated.
After the meeting, Deputy Commissioner Dr Hassan Waqar Cheema told Dawn that the district administration had completed the fogging in 20 sensitive union councils while it gave the list of 25 more union councils in the garrison city to District Health Authority to launch fogging.
Mr Cheema held recent rains responsible for the conducive environment for the dengue larvae and said that it was dire need to repeat the dengue surveillance in all the union councils after five days.
He said that the number of patients was increasing and the administration would not tolerate any negligence in spray of anti-dengue medicines. He said that parliamentarian had been requested to supervise the work of the health officials so the people would be saved from the vector borne disease.
About the dengue drive, he said that the assistant commissioners had been asked to check the work and he himself conducted surprise visits to inspect the work. He said that people had also requested to cooperate with the teams and participate in the drive and adopt preventive measures for the sake of their dear and near ones.
Published in Dawn, August 22th, 2025
