LAHORE: Punjab Chief Secretary (CS) Kamran Ali Afzal Tuesday issued directions to the relevant authorities to take stern action over violation of dengue standard operating procedures (SOPs).
He issued these directions while presiding over a meeting at the Civil Secretariat. The meeting reviewed the dengue situation and medical facilities for the patients.
The CS said the protection of health and lives of people was of utmost importance to the government. He asked the officers not to show any leniency over violation of the dengue SOPs. He directed all the divisional commissioners to act against those who were not adhering to the precautions.
The chief secretary said that all departments were required to ensure implementation of the instructions regarding prevention of dengue. He also ordered for a timely response to the cases being reported from private hospitals and laboratories. He directed the health department to pay attention to the larviciding through micro plans in the districts which were at higher risk of the dengue outbreak.
The secretaries of the health departments gave a detailed briefing to the meeting. The participants were informed that 2, 711 confirmed dengue patients and four deaths had been reported this year. After Lahore, dengue cases were also increasing in Rawalpindi and Sheikhupura. The Health Department had set up a 340-bed dengue field hospital at Expo Centre Lahore.
The deputy commissioner Lahore apprised the meeting of the details of the action taken against the violators of the SOPs. He said that the district administration got arrested 16 persons and registered 783 cases in Lahore during the last month.
The secretaries of health and industries departments, Chairman PITB, Director-General Public Relations, and officers concerned attended the meeting while all the divisional commissioners and deputy commissioners participated through video-link.