Committee reviews H1N1 situation

LAHORE: A high-level committee headed by Provincial Minister for Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Khawaja Salman Rafiq met here on Monday at DG Health Services Office to review the arrangements for control of the seasonal influenza (H1N1) cases in Lahore, Multan and Bahawalpur.

According to a handout, Minister for Primary and Secondary Health Khawaja Imran Nazir, Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Secretary Najam Ahmad Shah, Special Secretary Dr Sajid Chohan, Director General Health Dr Akhtar Rasheed, Medical Superintendents (MS) of the teaching hospitals of Lahore, SIMS Professor of Pulmonology Dr Kamran Cheema, Strategic Management and Internal Policy Unit ED Prof Ahsan Waheed Rathor, Consultant Dr Zahid Pervaiz, Additonal Secretary Dr Salman Shahid, VC Nishtar Medical University, Principal Quaid-e-Azam Medical College Bahawalpur, MS Bahawalpur Victoria Hospital (BVH) and other officers concerned attended the meeting. PKLI Virologist Dr Altaf and Consultant Virologist from UK Dr Muhammad Raza also attended the meeting.

Dr Akhtar briefed the meeting on the latest situation of the disease and measures taken to control it. He said no new case had reported in BVH during the last 24 hours. The vaccination of the concerned staff of teaching hospitals had already been completed and special counters were operational in all the hospitals, he said and added that sufficient stock of vaccine was available at the hospitals. He informed the meeting that all the medicines had been supplied to the hospitals. Moreover, medicines for another 3,000 patients were available in the stock. Prof Kamran advised the H1N1 patients to avoid having interaction with people in order to prevent spreading the disease. He said attendees of the patients must adopt preventive measures while visiting the patients. The medical superintendents of the hospitals were asked to adopt preventive guidelines in this regard. Dr Kamran said in case of any symptom found, the H1N1 patients should avoid self-medication and consult a qualified doctor for treatment. He was of the view that the complication of the influenza was due to the late arrival of the patients in the hospitals.

Both the ministers directed the authorities concerned to work proactively to control and treatment of the influenza patients. Khawaja Salman ordered the authorities to start an awareness campaign to sensitise the masses. Khawaja Imran said the technical committee would meet on daily basis to monitor the situation.