Punjab Health Minister Khawaja Imran Nazir has already directed all the Health CEOs to purchase chickenpox vaccine from open market according to their requirement. Moreover, health department has already placed an order to purchase 10 thousand chickenpox vaccine doses and would get by 09th May. About 600 vaccine doses are being sent to Faisalabad for ensuring vaccination of close contacts of the patients and health providers.
Principal Punjab Medical College Professor Dr Farid Zafar said that special 'Chickenpox Bay' has been established in the hospitals. He informed that so far 160 patients were brought to the hospital from different districts including Faisalabad and at present only six are under-treatment. The experts observed that presently adults are more affected by the virus as compared to the children.
Punjab Minister for Specialised Healthcare & Medical Education, Khawaja Salman Rafiq directed the Special Secretary SH&ME to rush to Faisalabad and review the arrangements for treatment of the chickenpox patients in Allied Hospital and disease prevention activities. Salman along with Minister Primary & Secondary Health Khawaja Imran Nazir chaired a meeting, to review the progress of steps taken for controlling the disease and treatment, here on Wednesday.
Besides, Parliamentary Secretary SH&ME Hasaan Raza Ch, Special Secretary SH&ME Dr Sajid Mehmood Chohan, Special Secretary Primary & Secondary Health Dr Faisal Zahoor, Director EPI Dr Munir Ahmad, Director CDC Dr Bashir Ahmad, Additional Secretary (Technical) Dr Asim Altaf, representative of WHO Punjab Dr Yahya Gulzar attended the meeting while Deputy Commissioners, CEOs of Faisalabad, Sahiwal, Jhang, Sargodha, Okara, Nankana Sahib, Chiniot, T T Singh and Bhakkar participated in the meeting through video link.
Dr Faisal Zahoor informed the meeting that necessary guidelines for the prevention and treatment of chickenpox have already been circulated among the concerned districts. Moreover, technical committee has started working which would submit its report within 24 hours. It was informed that DCs of all the affected districts have chaired meetings to monitor the situation and review the arrangements for prevention and control of the disease. Salman Rafiq said protecting the people from disease is our national duty and all concerned should perform their duties efficiently.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2017