The Punjab Health department in collaboration with Local Bodies today launched a state-wide campaign to prevent vector borne diseases including malaria and dengue and sought cooperation from general public in making this campaign success. All civil surgeons have been directed coordinate with respective local bodies to take necessary steps to prevent breeding of the mosquitoes in and around their vicinity in each town.Disclosing this Health Minister Punjab, Mr. Surjit Kumar Jayani said that instructions have been issued to the state, district and block level health officials to pull up their socks to tackle Vector Borne Diseases and there should not be any laxity in tackling vector borne diseases. The Minister said that a special awareness drives among public would be launched to educate them regarding prevention of breeding of the mosquitoes to prevent any cases of Malaria and Dengue. He said that the Department has sufficient quantities of insecticides for prevention of spread of the vector borne diseases.
The officials had also been asked to spray insecticides on the pits filled with water and prevent stagnating of water in their surroundings. The Health Department teams have been kept ready at various hospitals and health centres across the district in case of any eventuality, Minister added.Mr. Jayani said that the Civil Surgeons were also asked to ensure that all fever cases reported are tested free of cost for Malaria. Directing the health officers at district levels to ensure that Malaria should be treated free of cost at all the Government Hospitals of the State. Minister said that Punjab has adequate dengue testing kits for free testing of the suspected cases at Government Hospitals in the State as well as have medicines to provide free supportive treatment to the dengue cases.
Principal Secretary, Health Ms. Vini Mahajan briefing about the preparedness said that all Civil Surgeons of the state have already been instructed to take all necessary measures to prevent Vector Borne diseases. Ms. Mahajan said that besides keeping its staff on an alert, the health authorities were also asked to be regularly in touch with the officials of the Municipal Corporation (MC), water supply and sewerage board and some others departments concerned regarding the prevention of the outbreak of diseases and also to ensure hygiene in the residential areas, parks and other green belts in the areas under their control.