‘Chickenpox cases decreasing’ 

LAHORE

Punjab Primary and Secondary Health Minister for Kh Imran Nazir has said chickenpox situation has normalised in the province and a very few cases are reported in different areas in these days. 

He said a significant downtrend of the disease is noted. He stated this while addressing a press conference at Committee Room of Primary & Secondary Health Department Birdwood Road on Tuesday.

Special Secretary Dr Faisal Zahoor, Additional Secretary (Technical) Specialized Healthcare Dr Salman Shahid, Additional Secretary Primary Health Dr Asim Altaf and other officers concerned were present in the press conference.

The minister said during the current season 1,591 cases of chickenpox have been reported in Punjab out of which the largest number of cases reported in Faisalabad, 821 and 86 from Lahore.

He said satisfactory arrangements of treatment have been made in tertiary care hospitals and provincial level monitoring was conducted.

Kh Imran Nazir said two weeks back the intensity of chickenpox disease in Faisalabad division was very high, however, both the health departments made effective measures and the ministers of Specialized Health and Primary Healthcare held meetings on daily basis to review the situation for ten days regularly and all the chief executive officers of the affected districts were also taken on board and daily report sought from them regarding the situation.

The minister said Special Secretary Specialized Healthcare Dr Sajid Chauhan personally visited Faisalabad to review the situation. He participated in an awareness seminar arranged by the Punjab Medical College for health providers.

He said Health Department constituted a committee of senior professors for mortality audit of these deaths.

He disclosed that chickenpox has been declared as notify-able disease therefore private hospitals and practitioners have to report chickenpox cases to the Health Department.

Special Secretary Health Dr Faisal Zahoor said Health Information Management System has been placed in the department through which data of all such diseases is being gathered in the department.

At present 15,000 doses of chickenpox vaccine is available in the stock of the department while vaccination of all the people concerned had already been carried out.

“The chief executive officers of the affected districts have been directed to remain vigilant and continue monitoring of the situation,” he added.