Public health: Dengue threat to remain for two weeks

Khwaja Salman Rafique, the adviser on health to the chief minister and head of the committee, said that special attention was being paid to improving vector surveillance and indoor surveillance in light of expert recommendations. He said that officials had been instructed to intensify fogging and indoor spray in union councils which have a high rate of dengue infection.

In reply to a question, Rafique said that the best way to destroy dengue larvae was through mechanical means, so there is no unnecessary pollution of the environment, but targeted insecticide spray and fogging was being conducted in the affected areas. He said that the people would have to change their habits and lifestyle to get rid of dengue.

Rafique said that an anti-polio campaign would be launched on November 18, but it would not affect anti-dengue activities as the Health Department had acquired the services of additional staff from the Education and Social Welfare Departments and other institutions, as well as volunteers. He said that all hospitals were being monitored for the attendance of senior doctors.

Public representatives and government officers were paying regular visits to hospitals to ensure that the best medical facilities were available to dengue patients. He said that according to experts, the dengue situation would improve considerably during the next two weeks.

Special Health Secretary Babar Hayat Tarar, Lahore Commissioner Rashid Mahmood Langrial, DCO Dr Ahmed Javed Qazi, Institute of Public Health Dean Prof Muaz Ahmed, Additional Health Secretary (Technical) Dr Anwar Janjua, Health Director General Dr Zahid Pervaiz, Chief Entomologist Prof Waseem Akram, the medical superintendents of Mayo Hospital, Services Hospital, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital and Jinnah Hospital, and focal persons on dengue also attended the meeting.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 18^th, 2013.