First Public Health Operation Center Established to Deal With Health Emergencies

Directorate of Health Services (DHS) Islamabad has launched an integrated Public Health Operation Center (PHOC) to deal with different public health emergencies.

PHOC has been established with limited financial resources in a short period of time to respond to health emergencies in the Federal capital.

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While addressing the media following the launch ceremony, Director General DHS, Dr. Hasan Arooj, said that PHOC will work to control COVID-19, dengue, polio outbreaks in Islamabad in the future.

He noted that Islamabad has had 10 times less burden of dengue virus patients in comparison to adjoining cities for the last 9 years while the city last reported a case of poliovirus 14 years ago.

Dr. Hasan added that the World Health Organization (WHO) had included Islamabad in its Healthy Cities Program thanks to the unrelenting efforts of DHS Islamabad to make the city a healthy place for the public.

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WHO’s Country Representative to Pakistan, Dr. Palitha Mahipala, also attended the launch ceremony of PHOC.

While lauding the concept and establishment of PHOC, Dr. Mahipala said that public health surveillance plays an important role in controlling the outbreak of any disease.