ISLAMABAD: While the number of dengue cases in the country has reached the five-digit figure, the Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Health, Dr. Zafar Mirza, warned that there will be an additional increase in these cases in the next 10 days.
“However, during the next month the disease will be controlled since the mercury will begin to descend. I have observed that politicians, during television programs, use the theme of dengue cases to score points. My suggestion for them is not to make policy on issues related to public health, ”he told a news conference on Sunday.
According to Dr. Mirza, so far up to 10,013 cases of dengue have been reported this year throughout the country. He stated that the number of dengue cases in some previous years was greater than the cases reported during the current year.
“During the current year, 2,363 cases are reported in Punjab, 2,258 in Sindh, 1,814 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 1,772 in Balochistan. Other cases have been reported from Islamabad and other areas of the country. The federal government has been coordinating with the provinces to stop the dengue outbreak and concerted efforts are being made to control it, ”he said.
The assistant prime minister calls on politicians not to use the issue to score points
He said the Dengue Control and Operations Center was established at the Ministry of Health, Islamabad, which would review the situation related to dengue throughout the country daily and take steps to control it. He said that two direct lines with contact numbers (051-9212601 and 9216890) would work 24 hours a day and expert doctors would answer questions related to dengue.
He said that approximately 70 dengue patients in Punjab were reported in the Potohar region, adding that research will be done in the next few days to determine why this region is so affected.
Considering the possible increase in the number of patients, he said that 16 Basic Health Units in Islamabad have become functional and that trained doctors are providing treatment to patients. He urged people to visit these units to carry out tests after which medical staff would guide them to visit the nearest hospital.
Dr. Mirza said the health department was spraying the most affected areas, while the federal government was coordinating with provincial governments to curb the dengue outbreak and provide health facilities to patients.
Previously, in chairing a meeting of senior health officials on the dengue situation, SAPM assigned the Director General of Health, Dr. Asad Hafeez, to conduct a clinical audit and physical inspection of dengue rooms in the four main Islamabad hospitals – Pakistan Medical Sciences Institute, Polyclinic, Federal General Hospital and National Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine. A daily report will be sent to the SAPM, the Secretary of Health Dr. Allah Bakhsh Malik and the Dengue Control Room.
The head of the field epidemiology division of the National Institute of Health was assigned to update the National Plan of Action on Dengue Outbreak with contributions from all provinces to ensure proper planning, training, curative, preventive response and outbreak for next year.
PML-N seeks resignations
Pakistani Muslim League spokeswoman Nawaz (PML-N), Maryam Aurangzeb, requested the resignation of Punjab Prime Minister, federal and provincial ministers and advisers for not controlling the disease.
“It is the first government that shares the details of its incompetence. The prime minister, ministers and advisors should resign instead of sharing the number of dengue cases. They cannot hide their incompetence by suspending some officers, ”he said.
He suggested that the prime minister, ministers and advisors establish their offices in hospitals and declare emergencies throughout the country.
“Patients should be given the possibility to perform free tests and medications. Dengue cannot be controlled through press conferences that are held at the expense of the treasury. It is unfortunate that the current government has closed the dengue program due to its rivalry with Shahbaz Sharif. "
Posted on Dawn, September 23, 2019
Source: https://www.dawn.com/news/1506828/number-of-dengue-cases-crosses-10000-mark-in-the-country