LAHORE - The Punjab Health Department confirmed 57 new cases of dengue in Punjab in the last 24 hours as 55 of them were recorded in Rawalpindi alone. Bahawalpur and Faisalabad each reported one case. Over the last week, 293 new cases have emerged across the province, bringing the total number of infections in Punjab to 843 in 2024. The Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department reassured the public that they had made all necessary arrangements for dengue prevention with government hospitals fully equipped with essential medicines and treatments.The health department has issued an advisory urging citizens to keep their surroundings clean and dry to prevent the spread of the virus. They emphasized the need for public cooperation with health teams actively working to control the outbreak.The department also set up a free helpline (1033) for individuals seeking treatment, information, or wishing to lodge complaints related to dengue. Meanwhile, The Cabinet Committee on Prevention of Dengue, Infectious Diseases and Disaster Management, on Thursday, took notice of the non-cooperation by the allied departments in the anti-dengue activities in Rawalpindi and decided to surrender the negligent and uncooperative officers of these departments. Provincial Health Ministers Khawaja Salman Rafiq and Khawaja Imran Nazir presided over the eleventh meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Prevention of Dengue, Infectious Diseases and Disaster Management at the Civil Secretariat to review the situation of dengue in the province. In view of an increase in dengue cases in Rawalpindi, Chief Secretary Punjab Zahid Akhtar Zaman assigned the duties of monitoring to the secretaries of the relevant departments, asking them to visit Rawalpindi to oversee the anti-dengue activities there. Addressing the meeting, Khawaja Salman Rafique said that the allied departments must provide full support to control dengue as there is no room for negligence. He said that heads of departments should be active in the field for monitoring, adding that the violation of dengue SOPs could cause danger to all.
He said that surveillance should be intensified at hotspots including Potohar town of Rawalpindi. Khawaja Imran Nazir said that the increase in dengue cases in Rawalpindi was due to heavy rains. He mentioned that non-cooperation by allied departments in anti-dengue activities in Rawalpindi was a cause of concern.
He said that commissioners, deputy commissioners should head the anti-dengue meeting themselves, and the departments should ensure the presence of focal persons. He said that all departments should implement the SOPs for dengue prevention, and pamphlets should be distributed in schools and colleges to raise awareness.
Chief Secretary Zahid Akhtar Zaman ordered the authorities to expedite the process of larvae culling in Potohar town of Rawalpindi. He said that the next 15 days were very important in controlling dengue. He said that in view of the increase in dengue cases, the departments concerned have been directed to remain alert as any kind of negligence in this regard would not be tolerated. The Chief Secretary also issued instructions to rectify the deficiencies in surveillance, monitoring and reporting.
Secretary Primary Health Nadia Saqib gave a detailed briefing at the meeting. The secretaries of the relevant departments and health officials attended the meeting while all the divisional commissioners and deputy commissioners participated through video link.
