RAWALPINDI: The district administration on Saturday sealed the offices of the Excise and Taxation Department, social welfare, and three shops after finding dengue larvae on the premises, said Deputy Commissioner Dr Hassan Waqar Cheema.

DC Cheema along with local parliamentarians, including MNA Tahira Aurangzeb, inspected different offices and found dengue larvae at four spots at the excise office and three spots at the social welfare office. Besides, three shops were also sealed for violating the dengue SOPs.

Talking to Dawn, the deputy commissioner said the Punjab government has asked the administration to seal government offices, which failed to ensure the elimination of dengue larvae on the premises.

He said that cases would be registered against the in-charge of the offices as all government departments had submitted certificates to the district administration that they would clear the premises from mosquitoes. Meanwhile, a function was held at Viqarun Nisa College regarding the dengue awareness campaign. “1000 students of Government Viqarun Nisa College for Women will participate in the public awareness drive of the district administration for the prevention of dengue virus,” DC Cheema said.

DC claims 65pc of patients are women, links dengue deaths to self-medication

During the function, DC Hassan Waqar Cheema said that 65 per cent of the dengue patients were women, adding that there was a dire need to inform them about the safety measures. He said the health department would give training to the students and they would inform their relatives and families about the anti-dengue measures. “The cause of death related to dengue in the recent past has been self-medication and delayed reporting,” he said.

He said Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has also fixed the cost of a dengue test at Rs90 in all hospitals and laboratories. “There is coordination between the district administration and parliamentarians to launch the awareness campaign,” he said.

Meanwhile, a Dengue Awareness Walk was held on Saturday from Fawara Chowk to Liaquat Bagh to inform the public about precautionary measures regarding dengue. Senator Nasir Butt, Wasa Managing Director Saleem Ashraf and other officials participated in the event.

On the occasion, Senator Nasir Butt said that the government was committed to controlling the disease; however, it was the collective responsibility of the entire society to work for control and prevention of dengue.

Wasa Managing Director Saleem Ashraf said the sanitation was fully committed to the directions of the government regarding dengue control. He said Wasa Rawalpindi was regularly repairing water leakages and removing stagnant water to ensure there were no breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

Published in Dawn, October 13th, 2024