LAHORE – Special Assistant to Chief Minister Punjab on Health Kh Salman Rafique has directed the departments concerned to improve indoor surveillance for eradication of dengue and carryout micro planning at union council level for this purpose.
Chairing cabinet committee meeting to review the measures taken by various departments to check dengue, he observed that dengue larvae is being reported from the water containers inside the houses, therefore, community participation is essential for dengue eradication.
Besides MPAs from Lahore, Commissioner, DCO, Secretaries, Addl Secretaries of departments concerned including health and other senior officers also attended the meeting. It was informed that meetings of town response committees are being held on regular basis in which public representatives and officers of departments concerned are participating. The meeting decided that “Dengue Mukao” campaign would be launched door to door at UC level with the help of volunteers, officials of district government, NGOs and local public representatives. In this connection, a pilot project is being launched in UC-38 from the next week. The meeting was informed that so far 1363 tyre shops have been issued licences whereas more than 10,000 volunteers have got registered their names. Moreover, dengue awareness campaign is continuing in educational institutions of Lahore and other districts. Seminars are being organised to create awareness among the students. The students of schools and colleges are also engaged in dengue surveillance in their institutions. It was informed that dengue awareness booklets have been provided to Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education Lahore for onward distribution among private schools and they have been asked to get these booklets from the BISE according to their requirement.
Senior officers of Health, Local Government, Auqaf, Fisheries, Labour, Cooperatives, Social Welfare, Higher Education, School Education, Food, Environment, Irrigation departments, Information Technology Board, Lahore Waste Management Company, WASA, PHA and special branch briefed the meeting about the measures taken for the eradication of dengue.
 Assembly Members also expressed their views regarding cleanliness in their constituencies, drainage of water, de-silting of drains and WASA sewerage pipelines, removal of solid waste and monitoring of graveyards and junkyards.