Daily Times

Caretaker Punjab Minister for Primary and Secondary Healthcare Dr Jamal Nasir Friday said that special counters were being established at all the district and tehsil headquarter hospitals for providing free of cost treatment facilities to dengue patients. Chairing a meeting to review the dengue situation here, he said that people can get a slip for a free checkup by showing their national identity card. The minister said that after checking the patient’s pulse, fever and blood pressure at such counter, a blood sample will be taken and a CBC blood test would be done.

In case of a positive blood test report and the presence of symptoms, the dengue patient would be admitted to the hospital for further treatment. Dr Jamal said that qualified and trained doctor presence was also being ensured for dengue patients at the health facilities. He said that preventive measures were being taken to control the spread of dengue in Lahore, Rawalpindi and Multan, adding the surveillance for tracing larvae had been intensified across Punjab and the relevant deputy commissioners had been assigned the responsibility of monitoring the anti-dengue activities.

Dr Jamal informed that the Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department had prepared new SOPs for dengue prevention, while strict action would be taken against violators and those neglecting their duties during the anti-dengue campaign. “Show-cause notices will also be issued to officials involved in bogus activities,” he warned. The minister said that anti-dengue activities were being carried out on a scientific basis. As a result of repeated spraying in the past years, mosquitoes had developed immunity against insecticides, he said and added that different allergic diseases had been spread.