ISLAMABAD-Considering surge in the number of dengue fever cases, the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration expedited its efforts to cope with the virus and lodged 3 FIRs in a single day on accumulation of water and display of tyre outside shops in the area of Jhangi Syedan.
Assistant Commissioner (Potohar) Danish registered cases against 3 persons with Police station Noon for violation of section 144 that has been imposed by District Magistrate for the period of two months to prohibit any kind of accumulation of fresh and stagnant water along with other breeding spots like junkyards and tyre shops of bearing larvae, police source said on Sunday.
According to a health department official, over 30,000 samples from stagnant water sites in the city were taken during last eight months, the dengue larvae was positive in 11 per cent sites, he said and added that if the percentage exceeded to 25 per cent it would be a dengue outbreak.
Additional Deputy Commissioner Dr Asif Rahim, who was supervising the special dengue cell, functional in ICT Administration, said the department was committed to take all necessary steps for limiting and controlling further transmission of dengue fever.
He said that more than 600 dengue cases were confirmed in various hospitals of the federal capital and were being given free treatment as per government policy, while all the hospitals have also been directed to follow the standard protocols (Dengue counters, Dengue isolation wards and Quarantine) for prevention, control and treatment of dengue fever.
He said that 10 percent of the total beds in healthcare facilities had been reserved for the dengue patients, adding, all the patients were responded with Indoor residual spraying (IRS) within 24 hours of reporting the case which includes fumigation and IRS in 49 houses around the victim house, he added.Rahim said that 5 leading hospitals of Islamabad had started tagging patients admitted which are then responded by field teams of DHO/DHS and daily reports of dengue cases as well as facilities provided were received in special dengue cell and the same were forwarded to field teams for response. He said that it was the first time that the dengue patented in rural areas of Islamabad, under district health officer control and was being tagged on Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) Dashboard to track dengue activity.
Massive cleanup operations have been carried out in Tarnol and Rawat in collaboration with Sanitation directorate of MCI for removal of all the garbage and solid waste that can act as harbouring sites, he added.
He noted that managements of all government and private healthcare facilities in Islamabad have been taken on board and dedicated social media groups have been created to ensure timely receipt and disbursement of information. Accordingly, daily reports are being generated.
Fines are being imposed on the violators and unusable tyres at petrol pumps, CNG Stations, puncture shops, roof tops were being confiscated by the assistant commissioners in their respective areas, he said.
He appealed the citizens to wear full sleeve clothes and apply mosquito repellents on skin during night to avoid mosquito bites and dismantle stagnant water places like air coolers, plant pots, tyres, and fridge trays.
He said that two awareness sessions and medical camps had been arranged in collaboration with the volunteers in which brochures, literature and more than 700 mosquito repellents were distributed and people were sensitised about dengue fever and precautionary measures, he maintained.
The 100 percent surveillance was being carried out with special focus on Junkyards, basements, under Construction and abandoned sites petrol pumps and CNG stations.
Ulema through Auqaf department have also been asked to propagate awareness against dengue in their sermons, he said.
meanwhile, in an alarming development, dengue fever cases registered a sharp rise in the city as 5552 dengue fever suspects have so far been brought to the allied hospitals of the city, out of which 493 cases were probable while 1462 results were tested positive.
District Health Officer Dr Zeeshan on Sunday said that presently 485 dengue patients were under treatment in the allied hospitals out of which 334 having positive results. He said that September was crucial for dengue spread; therefore all departments must remain alert to cope with any situation, adding that Rawalpindi was a sensitive area regarding spread of dengue.
The DHO said that fogging and surveillance had been lengthened in the areas from where patients are being reported while anti dengue spray is also being carried out.
Zeeshan advised the residents to use of mosquito net or mosquito repellents like mats and coils.
Meanwhile, Additional Deputy Commissioner Saima Younas after continuously increase in the number of dengue patients directed officials of Rawalpindi Waste Management Company to ensure cleanliness of waste in the rural areas of the district.
She said that surveillance activities or tracing larva and its eradication be further expedited besides focusing on hotspots where from larvae has been detected during current checking. The ADC directed the officials to make maximum arrangements for the treatment of dengue fever patients; besides all possible preventive measures to meet any eventuality. Saima called upon the residents to keep an eye on junkyards, schools and under construction buildings which lead to spread of dengue larvae and leave no place wet or with stagnant water.