RAWALPINDI: Acting Commissioner Chaudhry Mohammad Ali Randhawa on Sunday asked the District Health Authority and hospitals to make arrangements to avoid spread of the dengue virus.

He stated this during a review of arrangements to avoid spread of the mosquito-bitten fever, especially after the heavy rains.

The commissioner asked the departments to coordinate and start anti-dengue campaigns as there were chances of the spread of the virus.

He also asked hospitals to make arrangements to provide facilities to the patients and allocate separate wards for the dengue patients as per directives of the Punjab government.

The health officials informed the meeting that they had started an anti-dengue drive in the city areas and launched door-to-door checking of dengue larvae. However, they said the health authority was facing shortage of equipment as the available equipment were out of order.

The meeting was informed that there was a need to get new foggers and pumps to spray anti-dengue medicines. There are 150 pumps but they are out of order.

A report presented in the meeting stated that in 2015 there were 3,192 patients reported in the city areas, 1,160 were reported in 2016, 322 in 2017 and 422 in 2018. But there are chances that the number of the cases would increase this year if precautionary measures are not adopted.

The commissioner asked the health officials to present him a detailed report about the requirements and problems by Monday.

He said all departments should coordinate with each other to avoid spread of the virus. He said the standard operating procedures issued by the government should be adopted.

Meanwhile, the acting commissioner conducted a snap visit to Benazir Bhutto Hospital and asked its management to improve services to the patients.

Published in Dawn, March 4th, 2019