Shahbaz orders separate units for Dengue

our correspondent
LAHORE: Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has issued instructions to immediately set up separate units for dengue patients at all hospital of the province and post maximum number of doctors and paramedical staff in these units, so that dengue patients should not face any difficulty in treatment.

He also issued directions to set up a hotline for the benefit of dengue patients and common citizens besides establishing a special dengue control room where the citizens could register their complaints and seek information. He said that the situation created by dengue virus would have to be dealt with on emergency basis, therefore, no effort should be spared in this regard.

He was presiding over a meeting of special emergency committee set up against dengue virus, here on Wednesday. Senator Pervaiz Rashid, Member National Assembly Hamza Shahbaz Sharif, the secretaries of Health, Local Government and Information, the commissioner and district coordination officer, Lahore, senior doctors and officers concerned were also present.

The chief minister said that steps were being taken for controlling dengue virus and a comprehensive strategy had been evolved for the purpose. He said that a special emergency committee had been formed under his chairmanship for reviewing the measures taken against dengue virus on daily basis. Similar committees had also been established in nine towns of Lahore which were meeting daily at 7am to monitor the steps taken against dengue virus as well as their results, he added.

He said that though spray had been conducted in 90 per cent areas of Lahore, however, some public complaints had been received during open courts regarding the quality of the spray. He directed the Health secretary to immediately consult experts for checking the quality of the spray. He issued directions to maintain complete record of dengue patients in all hospitals so that an effective strategy could be evolved for controlling the virus in future. He said that there should not be any shortage of doctors and nurses in the separate units set up for dengue patients in the province and maximum number of doctors and paramedical staff be posted in these units on emergency basis for the benefit of the patients.

He also issued directions to submit him a complete report within 24 hours regarding establishment of special dengue units in all hospitals. He said that well-to-do people could afford treatment in private hospitals but the common man could not pay the expenses of the hospitals, therefore, it should be ensured that dengue patients did not face any problem in receiving treatment in government hospitals. He said that a special committee had also been formed under the chairmanship of the chief secretary. The committee would submit comprehensive recommendations by September 30 regarding long-term planning for controlling dengue virus, he said, ordering a separate cell in the Health Department for the sole purpose of complete elimination of dengue virus.