RAWALPINDI: Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar on Tuesday directed to hire 1,000 doctors and as many nurses on an emergency basis through walk-in interviews to overcome the shortage in hospitals across the province.

He was presiding over an emergency meeting held at the commissioner office here to review the anti-dengue measures.

Minister for Railways Sheikh Rashid Ahmad, provincial ministers Dr Yasmeen Rashid, Raja Rashid Hafeez and MPAs were also present.

Appointments will be made through walk-in interviews to overcome shortage in hospitals across province

The chief minister said doctors should provide adequate medical treatment to the dengue patients admitted to allied hospitals. He said special monitoring cells had been set up in the chief secretary and CM offices to monitor the activities of the district governments and the officers to eradicate dengue.

He said a special allowance would be given to nurses treating the dengue patients.

The chief minister asked the health secretary to stay in Rawalpindi to monitor the anti-dengue activities. He expressed concerns over the increase in number of dengue patients in the city and issued instructions for boosting up the anti-dengue campaign.

He also ordered for activating anti-dengue teams, saying their vehicles should remain available on roads and spray should be conducted in areas where it was needed.

He said he removed the deputy commissioners of Rawalpindi and Lahore for not taking timely anti-dengue measures. “I will not tolerate negligence and will monitor the steps against dengue in the field,” he said.

The chief minister also visited Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH) and inspected the arrangements made in special wards set up for the dengue patients. The chief minister lauded services of the dengue ward staff and said doctors and nurses would be given special incentives in the shape of an emergency allowance.

“The government will not leave the dengue patients alone. It is a difficult phase but it would be overcome by working hard and I will visit all places affected by dengue,” he said, adding the anti-dengue campaign was being run on an emergency basis. Commissioner Rawalpindi Saqib Zafar informed the CM that six filter clinics had been established in the city to diagnose dengue fever among the patents. He said three mobile health units had reached the city to cure the patients.

The chief minister earlier also visited the Basic Health Unit at Kotha Kallan and areas near Attock Oil Refinery in Morgah and witnessed measures being made by the government to tackle dengue.

According to locals, security forces surrounded the BHU and did not allow people and media inside. They said more than 100 dengue positive cases had emerged in these areas.

MNA Haji Amjad expressed concerns over a surge in dengue cases in Morgah.

Two die of dengue

A woman, Tehmina Saleem, died of dengue fever in the Intensive Caring Unit of THE Holy Family Hospital.

“The woman was brought from Commercial Market three days ago with symptoms of dengue fever,” said a senior doctor at the dengue ward of the hospital.

Similarly, a young man died of the mosquito-borne decease in a private hospital located at Golra Mor. The deceased was identified as Shoaib Munir, a resident of Eidgah.

Published in Dawn, September 25th, 2019