ISLAMABAD – Deputy Commissioner (DC) Islamabad Irfan Nawaz Memon on Friday chaired a review meeting to assess the current dengue situation in Islamabad and Rawalpindi. On the occasion, he called for stronger efforts to combat dengue as cases continue to rise in both the capital and its neighboring city, Rawalpindi. All the assistant commissioners and health department representatives participated in the meeting, focusing on the comparison of dengue cases in twin cities. During the meeting, officials were briefed on the alarming rise in cases. Rawalpindi has recorded a total of 3,220 dengue cases as of October 17, while Islamabad has reported 2,276 cases so far. In the past 24 hours alone, 55 new cases reported in Islamabad. Health officials also highlighted the spread of dengue through mosquito breeding sites. In the last week, 1,143 positive larvae samples were found in various locations across the city, indicating the need for increased measures to control the spread of the disease. Following the briefing, Deputy Commissioner directed all relevant authorities to step up anti-dengue operations. Meanwhile, he also emphasized the importance of swift and coordinated actions to prevent further escalation of the outbreak. Meanwhile, in a continued collaborative effort to eradicate dengue, Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) led the rest of the district in the anti-dengue campaign. In collaboration with the District Health Authority, the campaign has been intensified in various wards of the Cantt. According to details, 142 dengue cases were completely addressed till 17th October, as mentioned in the DVR Response report received by the APP here on Friday. The report shows zero pendency in terms of degree of response in RCB areas. The statistical data released by the health authority shows an average of 20 dengue patients per day with 100 percent response by the health workers.
Talking to APP here on Friday, Additional CEO RCB Haider Shuja said that RCB was engaged fully in indoor and outdoor activities along with the public reps which resulted in positive outcomes. He said the efforts being made by the district administration demanded collective efforts to directly engage citizens through surveillance and awareness campaigns.
To a question, Haider highlighted that despite RCB was facing multifaceted challenges, it didn’t not hampered the required actions and activities to eradicate the menace of dengue.
However, the Add’l Chief underlined the need for continued citizens cooperation in this regard.
“Our teams are rendering at their best with available resources which require equating continuous response by the citizens,” he said and added that the remaining period of the month of October would remain a high favouring weather for dengue growth to which RCB would remain vigilant.
The health data shows 17 new patients were diagnosed in RCB localities during the last 24 hours, out of a total of 95 in the district which is 18 percent.
The Add’l Chief Haider Shuja expressed satisfaction over the response to the dengue and patients management mechanism in Cantonment General Hospital.
Giving details on recent fogging and spraying activities, Harder Shuja said that clusters of target areas have regularly been visited
“The fogging and spraying teams are rendering their duties accordingly in the field,” he added.
