Amraiz Khan
Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar expressed his strong concerns over increase in number of dengue patients in Lahore and Rawalpindi and issued necessary instructions to boost up anti-dengue campaign.
He expressed his concerns while presiding over an emergency meeting at his office on Monday to review the anti-dengue measures. The chief minister directed to immediately activate anti-dengue brigade adding that its vehicles should remain available on the roads and spray or fogging should be conducted in areas where it is needed. He also announced to conduct all dengue tests including CBC in hospitals free of cost and added that every resource will be provided to save the people from dengue. He directed to run an effective awareness campaign about safety from dengue and further directed to recruit doctors, nurses and essential staff on emergent basis through walk-in-interviews and said that male nurses should also be recruited where needed.
The chief minister directed to immediately send three mobile health units to Rawalpindi and gave approval to establishment of filter clinics as well. The meeting decided to set up anti-dengue cell at CM Office. The chief minister said that provincial ministers and assembly members will be assigned duties and they would monitor anti-dengue measures in red zones. He said that necessary steps should be adopted for the treatment of dengue patients in hospitals. The line departments and administrative officers should always remain available in the field in these unusual circumstances. The government is taking all-possible steps to overcome dengue disease on war-footing basis, he added.
The Chief Minister directed that dengue information counters should be set up in hospitals to guide the patients and their families. Similarly, private general practitioners should also be trained about dealing with dengue disease. He said that necessary medicines should be available in hospitals. Along with it, tehsil and district emergency response committees should be reactivated and local notables as well as public representatives should be included in these committees. He reiterated that dengue surveillance should be efficiently performed and disclosed that third-party audit of anti-dengue measures will also be conducted. He informed the meeting that DCs of Lahore and Rawalpindi have been changed for failing to take timely anti-dengue measures.
There is no room for any leniency in this regard and immediate action will be taken wherever negligence is noticed, he said. I will also monitor anti-dengue steps and practical measures should be visible in the field. Figure work will not be tolerated and the ones doing wrong reporting will not stay on their posts. SOPs should be followed in total and the best performers will be encouraged, concluded the chief minister.
