LAHORE: The deputy commissioners of all the dengue sensitive districts would get third-party validation of indoor and outdoor dengue surveillance to ensure implementation of effective measures to check its breeding.

A direction to this effect was issued by Minister for Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Khawaja Salman Rafique while presiding over a meeting of the cabinet committee on dengue at Civil Secretariat on Monday.

He said eradication of hotspots of dengue breeding through surveillance and use of chemical as well as mechanical methods was need of the hour.

The hotspots of dengue breeding would increase as rainy season had commenced, said the minister while directing the officials to check the water accumulated in tree holes in such areas where dengue patients were being reported.

The minister said a meeting of technical committee should be convened to review the present dengue situation.

The committee should also submit recommendations for control of dengue in the coming days.

Earlier, Dengue Control Programme Additional Director General Dr Farrukh Sultan said that during the first six months of the current year, 36 dengue patients had been reported in Punjab, out of which 12 belonged to Lahore.

He said sufficient stock of chemical was available with the department and the districts could obtain these chemicals according to their need.

The deputy commissioners and CEOs of the health authorities of Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Attock, Kasur, Rahim Yar Khan, Chakwal, Jhang and Bahawalnagar also briefed the meeting regarding steps taken for dengue control in their districts.

Published in Dawn, July 4th, 2017