Adviser to Chief Minister on Health Khwaja Salman Rafique on Monday said dengue surveillance and larviciding activities should be intensified to eliminate breeding sites for dengue mosquitoes.
The adviser told a meeting of Cabinet Committee on Dengue that the rainy reason was conducive to breeding of dengue mosquitoes.
Additional Chief Secretary Aamir Sohail, Health Secretary Jawad Rafique Malik, District Coordination Officer Muhammad Usman, Health Services Director General Zahid Pervaiz, Health Additional Secretary (Technical) Salman Shahid and the Water and Sanitation Agency managing director attended the meeting.
Rafique directed Pakistan Railways officers to ensure removal of solid waste and stagnant water from the railway premises, particularly the Mughalpura Railways Workshop.
Rafique said government hospitals had made satisfactory arrangements for diagnosis and treatment of dengue fever. He said doctors deputed at High Dependency Units and dengue wards were trained for the purpose.
Sohail directed the Wasa, Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) and Solid Waste Management officers to immediately drain stagnant water and remove solid waste.
He said tilapia fish should be used for the biological control of dengue larvae.
Malik stressed the on need for addressing complaints uploaded on the dashboard of Punjab Information Technology Board against various departments and agencies.
He directed the Wasa and the PHA to check online dashboard regularly and address public complaints regarding dewatering and removal of solid waste.
He said if the officer from any department felt that a complaint on the dashboard was not related to his organisation, he should inform the department concerned about that.
Earlier, the DCO briefed the meeting about anti-dengue arrangements.
He said surveillance of graveyards, junkyards and tyre shops was being carried out.
He said indoor larvae were mostly detected in Aziz Bhatti Town, Samanabad Town and Gulberg Town, and outdoor larvae in Data Ganj Bakhsh Town and Ravi Town.
The additional chief secretary directed officers of the departments concerned to furnish compliance reports regarding the instructions issued at the daily meetings.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 16th, 2014.