LAHORE: Due to rising dengue cases in Rawalpindi, a health emergency will be imposed in the city, as decided in a meeting held on Tuesday.
A Cabinet Committee meeting was held on Tuesday to discuss the response to the growing cases of dengue in the country. The meeting was chaired by the Minister for Specialised healthcare Salman Rafique and the Chief Secretary of Punjab Zahid Akhtar Zaman.
Article 63A case: Justice Naeem Akhtar appointed to complete bench
The committee decided to enforce a health emergency in Rawalpindi, as Provincial Minister of Primary and Secondary Healthcare for Punjab, Khawaja Imran Nazir, said that there is a risk for dengue cases to increase in the city.
Over 1200 cases have been reported in the year so far, with 84 new cases being confirmed in the last 24 hours. 185 patients are currently under treatment in the allied hospitals of Rawalpindi according to District Health Authority Rawalpindi.
While only 5 deaths have been confirmed so far, with weather forecasts indicating hot and dry conditions across Pakistan, there remains a risk for cases to rapidly increase. The District Health Authority Rawalpindi has increased its surveillance efforts to maximize public awareness.
Hot, dry conditions expected across the country on Tuesday
Minister Rafique also expressed that there is a shortage of space in government hospitals for dengue patients, adding that private hospitals should be utilized for the treatment of patients.
So far, there have been over 1700 cases of dengue in Punjab. However, the briefing also concluded that the dengue situation in Lahore is improving, thanks to better surveillance.