RAWALPINDI: Dr. Jamal Nasir, Punjab’s Caretaker Minister for Primary and Secondary Healthcare and Population Welfare, announced on Thursday that the Health Department Rawalpindi has been provided with 1,500 new workers for anti-dengue activities.
Emphasizing the importance of their training and field presence, the minister called for their effective utilization.
During a meeting chaired by the minister and attended by Commissioner Rawalpindi Liaquat Ali Chatha, several decisions were made.
As per the details, the private housing schemes will be required to hire sanitary workers according to their size to carry out anti-dengue work.
Moreover, all government departments must obtain certificates confirming their adherence to dengue standard operating procedures (SOPs) for their offices and government residences.
The Punjab government has also issued a notification that sets the rates for various tests for dengue patients.
Furthermore, all private hospitals and laboratories have been directed to charge the same rates for dengue tests.
The fee for a complete blood count (CBC) test prescribed by a qualified doctor is fixed at Rs90.
In addition, deserving patients should receive a 35% discount on PCR and other essential tests. These rates will remain in effect until June 30 next year.
To tackle environmental concerns, the Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation has been instructed to file cases against individuals dumping building material waste into Leh Nullah and relocate cattle pens near Katarian to an alternative location.
The Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) will conduct a third-party validation of the activities carried out by the RMC.
In light of the ongoing rains, the minister has ordered the cancellation of leaves for the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) and Rawalpindi Waste Management Company (RWMC) staff.
Moreover, Commissioner Rawalpindi has also directed the field teams of the health department to intensify dengue surveillance during the monsoon season to prevent the breeding of dengue mosquitoes.
He emphasized the need for weekly meetings at the district and tehsil levels to monitor dengue activities and launch an awareness campaign to engage citizens in these efforts.
During the meeting, officials from the district administration and District Health Authority reported that 192 FIRs had been registered against commercial building owners for violating SOPs.
In addition, 97 buildings were sealed, and six individuals were arrested, while fines totaling Rs. 300,000 were imposed on the violators.
Source: DAWN
