Rawalpindi
Deputy Commissioner (DC) Rawalpindi Chaudhary Muhammad Ali Randhawa Friday directed the Rawalpindi Development Authority and the administrations of cooperative housing societies to expedite anti-dengue activities in their respective areas.
Chairing a weekly review meeting of District Emergency Response Committee for Dengue, he said 36 dengue cases had been reported in Nawaz Colony, City Villas, Airport Housing Society, Dhoke Kala Khan, Gul Bahar Colony and Wakeel Colony in Potohar Town.
The DC said special attention should be given on anti-dengue activities particularly in all areas where dengue cases were reported.
He said indoor and outdoor anti-dengue activities should be expedited in all vulnerable areas of the town as due to current weather condition and rains, it was now the peak season for dengue.
He said the departments concerned should further enhance coordination to improve their performance. Participation of the citizens in anti-dengue activities should also be ensured, he added.
The authorities should take effective measures to control dengue while special teams under anti-dengue drive should inspect residential and commercial places and educate the citizens about importance of sanitation, cleanliness and preventive measures against dengue, he added.
The DC said hotels, restaurants, workshops, tyre shops and junkyards/godowns should also be checked properly and the citizens should be informed about dengue and adoption of maximum precautionary measures against the disease.
He urged the citizens to adopt precautionary measures and remove stagnant water from their homes and roof tops as most of dengue larvae and adult mosquito is found in air coolers, water drums and scrap items.
The meeting was briefed that special attention was being given to dengue surveillance. So far, 59 confirmed dengue patients were reported during the current season in Rawalpindi district. About 326 teams inspected 43,653 houses during the Aug 9-15 week in Chaklala Cantonment Board, Rawalpindi Cantonment Board, Potohar Town, urban area and Rawal Town, and cleared 537 dengue positive sites.
Similarly, 219 teams under indoor and outdoor dengue surveillance checked 34,244 spots and cleared 42 positive points.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Secretary Local Government Dr. Najeeb Aslam, Associate Professor Sana Haroon, Additional Deputy Commissioner, Headquarter, Saima Younas, District Health Officer, Dr. Naveed Akram, CO Municipal Corporation, Khawaja Imran Safdar, Director General PHA Shafqat Raza, Deputy District Health Officer, Dr. Mubashir, Dr. Zeeshan, Focal Person Dengue Programme, Dr. Sajjad and heads of all the departments concerned.—APP
