Centre lauds KMC’s measures to combat vector borne diseases

Member, mayor-in-council (health) Atin Ghoah and  Debashis Biswas, chief vector control officer met PK Sen, additional director of National Vector Borne Disease (NVBD) in New Delhi on Tuesday.

The Centre has lauded the vector control drive carried out at wards, boroughs and in the central level. The rapid action teams carry out vector control drives in the borough level and they are being monitored by the central rapid action team. 

The KMC teams visited the houses and apartments as a part of vector control drive and inspected the overhead tanks and underground reservoirs. If they found mosquito larvae, they asked the owners to clean the tanks immediately.  

Similarly, drives are regularly carried out at state-run hospitals and establishments. “Such drives are not carried out anywhere in the country,” Sen remarked.

The SMS alert sent to the person whose blood was drawn for test at any laboratory by KMC has been described as ‘unique’ by the Centre. 

After examining the blood, a person gets an SMS alert containing details of the report, name of the doctor who had examined the blood sample along with the address of the centre where the blood was examined. If dengue is detected, KMC team would visits the houses and takes necessary measures.

The system of collecting data from private hospitals, nursing homes and laboratories daily was also lauded by Sen. There is a civic employee whose job is to collect information from these establishments.

The KMC is organising a workshop on February 27 where the councilors, doctors involved in private practice and KMC doctors will participate and answer the questions raised by people. There is often confusion over the mode of treatment between the private medical practitioners and KMC doctors in  treating vector borne diseases, Debashis Biswas, chief vector control officer of KMC said.

Ghosh said the city had been divided into several zones and intense vector control drives were being launched. This has helped to reduce the number of malaria and dengue cases. 

He said Sen had lauded the effort of KMC in combating the disease. 

It may be recalled that in 1990s, malaria and malignant malaria became rampant in the areas of Kalighat and Bhowanipore. 

After coming to power, Mayor Sovan Chatterjee held meetings with senior health department officials. The most vulnerable zone was identified and steps had been taken accordingly.