RAWALPINDI - The total number of dengue patients has reached 368 in Rawalpindi as 30 new cases were reported during the last 24 hours. According to the latest report released by the District Health Authority, the largest number of cases were reported from Pothohar Town and Municipal Corporation areas, with 11 positive cases from each during the last 24 hours. The report reveals that the Chak Jalal Din area remains one of the most affected areas in the city.
Health authority sources informed APP that various measures are underway in the most affected areas. Besides awareness campaigns and anti-dengue spraying, the CM Mobile Health Unit also visited Chak Jalal Din and conducted several pathological tests for area residents, including CBC, LFTs, RFTs, etc. The health unit examined 216 patients during its stay in the affected areas. The report further reveals that 65% of dengue cases reported in the Rawalpindi district are men, creating a gender ratio of 2 to 1 for male vs. female patients. Financial penalties worth Rs. 13.0 million have been imposed since January 2024, along with several registered FIRs and challans against SOP violators. A comparative analysis in the report shows that punitive actions taken against violations this year are four times more than those of 2023. Similarly, the average number of confirmed positive cases has significantly declined compared to the previous year.
Meanwhile, Additional Director General (ADG), Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) Awais Manzoor Tarar here on Monday directed the approved housing schemes to adopt all possible anti-dengue measures. Chairing a meeting held at RDA office, the ADG instructed the owners and sponsors of the housing schemes to take solid steps to ensure implementation of the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) issued by the Punjab government to control dengue. The ADG instructed the housing societies to nominate representatives and form teams under a focal person to implement anti-dengue SOPs. These focal persons would coordinate with the Assistant Director of Planning, RDA, and provide regular reports on their efforts to control dengue. Awais Manzoor Tarar warned that FIRs would be lodged against those from whose properties dengue larvae would be detected. He underlined the need to adopt immediate dengue control measures and preventive and long-term strategies to protect the environment and public health. The meeting was attended by Deputy Director Planning, Muhammad Samiullah Niazi, Assistant Director General, Waqar Ahmad, Assistant Director Planning, Mehwish Saleem, Assistant Director Building Control, Muhammad Daud, Assistant Director Architecture, Syeda Rida Sultan and several owners and sponsors of approved housing schemes.