Civic bodies intensify anti-dengue drive in state

With the dengue death toll rising to 7 across the state so far, all the civic bodies have intensified the anti dengue drives to combat the situation.

According a senior official of the state health department, the disease has claimed 7 lives while as many as 995 patients were undergoing treatment at various hospitals. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday urged the people not to get panicked and advised to consult a doctor if anybody catches fever. Banerjee is currently touring Purulia.

The senior officials of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) and other civic bodies believe that the disease has appeared due to lack of awareness of a section of the people who had hardly taken any step to clear the stagnant water inside their household and office buildings. It is not always possible for the civic bodies to conduct drive at every house. As a part of awareness drive to educate the people, the civic bodies had conducted various campaigns. They tried to make people aware that they should discharge accumulated water inside their houses.

Ahead of monsoon the civic bodies conducted anti dengue drives at all the places and spread insecticides at all the pockets which becomes the breeding ground for mosquitoes. The Chief Minister in a recent meeting had given clear instructions to the civic bodies to put up rigorous efforts to clear the stagnant water and garbage at schools and at various other offices. She also asked the municipalities to spread awareness by distributing leaflets and other necessary means of advertisements.

Following the Chief Minister’s order, the state education department has sent advisory to all the school and colleges so that they take steps to clear the stagnant water inside their campus.

The state health department has issued directives to both the state run and private hospitals to follow certain guidelines while treating the patients. It has been seen that some patients get panicked after they catch fever. Many a time people visit hospitals with normal fever which create an unnecessary rush in the hospital. The health department has asked all the hospitals to follow the certain guidelines to determine whether the victims were suffering from dengue.

According to a senior health official the situation is under control and there is nothing to worry. All the hospitals have been asked to stock adequate blood and make necessary arrangements to combat the situation.