Increase in dengue cases: Health emergency declared in Pindi

LAHORE: The Cabinet Committee on Prevention of Dengue, Infectious Diseases and Disaster Management has decided to declare a health emergency in Rawalpindi in view of an increase in dengue cases in the district. This decision was taken during an important meeting of the Cabinet Committee at the Civil Secretariat on Tuesday.

The meeting was convened to review the dengue situation, especially in Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Faisalabad. Provincial Minister for Specialised Healthcare Khawaja Salman Rafique and Punjab Chief Secretary Zahid Akhtar Zaman presided over the meeting while Minister for Primary Healthcare Khawaja Imran Nazir participated through video link.

The cabinet committee directed that special attention be given to the clinical management of dengue patients to minimise the mortality rate and the technical group be asked to determine the causes of deaths due to dengue in Rawalpindi and the severity of the disease in under-treatment patients. Addressing the meeting, Khawaja Salman said that arrangements should be made for the treatment of dengue patients in private hospitals in case the public hospitals run out of space due to patient load in Rawalpindi. He said that the technical group will be assigned to submit a report after finding the causes of death due to dengue and the severity of the disease in Rawalpindi. He also issued instructions to start a special campaign to increase awareness about the dengue. Khawaja Imran Nazir said that an action plan should be prepared for the next one month to control dengue. He said that the situation of dengue in provincial capital is better due to better surveillance. He said that there is a fear of an increase in dengue cases in Rawalpindi, adding that the departments have to be alert to deal with any emergency.

Punjab Chief Secretary directed that the capacity of government hospitals in Rawalpindi be increased for better treatment of dengue patients. He said that all necessary resources would be given for providing medicines and necessary facilities in public hospitals. He said that the availability of authentic data is very important to overcome dengue virus. Primary Health Secretary Nadia Saqib and the deputy commissioner Rawalpindi gave a detailed briefing at the meeting.

Meanwhile, health minister called an emergency meeting of the Technical Working Group in the Department of Primary and Secondary Health Care in view of the increasing cases of dengue.

Khawaja Salman Rafique said that the technical working group should immediately determine the causes of death due to dengue in Rawalpindi and the severity of the disease in treated patients.