Punjab Health Minister asks health officials to ensure that all private hospitals send timely reports about the suspected dengue cases to the department of health & and family welfare, Punjab. Surjeet Kumar Jayani said this while presiding over a meeting here today of State Task Force constituted for intersectoral coordination and involvement of other stakeholder departments in prevention and control of Dengue and other Vector Borne Diseases in the State.Minister said that dengue spreading mosquito Breeds in artificial collection of clean water in or around the houses/ offices and its Life cycle from egg to adult is 7-10 days. Minister said that collective campaign should be launched for educating people to stop spreading of dengue.Minister also asked all concerned departments to cooperate in this cause to stop breeding of dengue spreading mosquitoes such as Spray and Fogging in the affected areas (especially indoor) with approved insecticides, Slow speed vehicles with information for the community, Prevention of collection of water favouring breeding of the mosquitoes, Proper collection & disposal of garbage and prevent overflow of surface drains, Spray of larvicides on water or use of burnt oil to prevent breeding, Identification of ponds/ water bodies for seeding of the gambusia fish and Village Health and Sanitation Committees to spread awareness regarding prevention of vector borne diseases, Discarded/spare tyres need to be stacked & sprayed with insecticides, Spreading awareness among school children regarding prevention of vector borne diseases like Malaria, Dengue etc and Guidelines issued by Department of Health and Family Welfare to all the districts to ensure school children are sensitized regarding prevention of mosquito breeding.
Jayani said that 50 cases of dengue has been reported in the state till date are being treated in the government hospitals. Minister warned the private hospitals for creating panic among the public about dengue and said that strict action would be taken against such hospitals. He said that Punjab Government has constituted a Dengue review committee which would review all dengue cases and real cases of dengue would be listed.He said that Dengue testing is free of cost at government hospitals, Separate beds have been identified for dengue patients in all Govt. hospitals (with mosquito nets), Supportive treatment of Dengue is given free in all Govt. Hospitals, Blood Component Separators are available in all the districts for severe patients of dengue (Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever), Aphresis machines are available at 6 Civil Hospitals in State CH Amritsar, Bathinda, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, SAS Nagar and Sangrur and at GMC Amritsar & Patiala. Jayani also said that Department is using larvicides (Temephos and Bti) for prevention of breeding of mosquitoes, Spray & fogging with Pyrethrum 2%, is being done in the house from where a case of dengue is reported as well as 40-50 surrounding houses. He added that 114 IgM MacELISA kits have been received from NIV Pune, 30 NS1Ag kits have been procured & distributed and Department has procured 10 hand held fogging machines.Prominent present on the occasion included Dr Navjot Kaur Sidhu, CPS Health, Ms Vini Mahajan, Principal Secretary Health, Medical Education & Research, Punjab, Mr. Hussan Lal, MD, PHSC & NRHM, Punjab, Mr. Priyank Bharti Director Local Bodies, Dr. Karanjit Singh, Director Health Services and Tejinder Kaur, Director PHSC and senior officials of the concerned departments.