LAHORE, Nov 10: Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif says dengue has been controlled effectively this year with the cooperation of the people.

He said despite achieving the desire results in 2012, war against dengue is on and will continue till its complete eradication.

He said this while addressing the inaugural ceremony of the International Dengue Conference at Aiwan-i-Iqbal on Saturday.

CM’s special assistant Khawaja Salman Rafique, Perviaz Malik, members of parliament, experts from Sri Lanka, Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia, secretaries of concerned departments, doctors, nurses, paramedical staff and other people who took part in the anti-dengue campaign and a large number of citizens were present on the occasion.

The chief minister said it was heartening to note that this year’s efforts had proved fruitful and no dengue death occurred in the province. “Although we had no expertise and experience in fighting dengue, it was our commitment to face this virus at all cost”, he said. The chief minister said that medical experts had been invited from Sri Lanka and Thailand and the war was launched against dengue with commitment and determination.

In order to combat the epidemic more effectively, the government convened meetings daily at 7am, he said.

Shahbaz Sharif said that his political colleagues, doctors, nurses, paramedics and secretaries of the departments had taken active part in the campaign.

He said 21,000 dengue patients and about 252 deaths were reported last year but this year only 252 patients were reported.

Referring to the metro bus project, the chief minister said that this was an excellent public welfare project through which best travel facilities would be available to the general public.

Shahbaz Sharif strongly dispelled impression given by some quarters that the cost on the project had reached Rs 80 billion. “The actual cost of this project is Rs27 billion”, he said.

Expressing his gratitude to the technical support and cooperation extended by medical experts of Sri Lanka, Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia, the chief minister said that foreign doctors had worked jointly with Pakistani doctors. Shahbaz Sharif appreciated the performance of all those who took part in anti-dengue campaign. He also distributed appreciation certificates among those who showed best performance during the anti-dengue campaign.

Khwaja Salman Rafique, Health Secretary Arif Nadeem, Begum Shaista Pervaiz Malik, Special Branch Additional IG Nasir Khan Durani, Sri Lankan experts Fernando and Dr Tesira, Thailand expert Dr Suchitra and Dr Wasim Akram also addressed the inaugural ceremony. — Staff Reporter