CM instructs civic bodies to intensify anti-dengue drive

Banerjee on Tuesday convened a high level meeting at Nabanna where the Mayor of Kolkata Sovan Chatterjee, Sabyasachi Dutta, Mayor of Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation (BMC) and senior officials of the state health and urban development department were present. The Chief Minister has given a clear instruction 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. Advertisements will be given to create awareness among the people. Chief Minister also urged the people to keep the surrounding areas clean.

After convening the meeting Banerjee said that the education department is sending advisories to all the school and colleges so that they take steps to clear the stagnant water inside their campus. “We are not in favour of interfering into the school and college matters. But the schools and colleges must ensure that there is no stagnant water inside the campus. The state education department is sending advisories to the schools in this regard,” Banerjee maintained.

She also said: “We held a health review meeting today (Tuesday) to discuss various issues. We hold 

such meeting at a regular interval when it is required. Some unknown fever, malaria, dengue and diarrhoea appear during monsoon and they subside towards the second week of October. Nowadays people travel from one place to another. People must be cautious. I have instructed the civic bodies, health and urban development department to intensify anti-dengue drive. Water is often accumulated at various under construction buildings which must be removed. The civic bodies were instructed to conduct special drive at schools, colleges, state and Central government owned offices.” All the major hospitals have also been instructed to keep sufficient blood to combat the situation.

It may be mentioned that six persons including two school students have so far died after they were admitted to the hospital with fever. Neither the state health department nor the hospital authorities have confirmed that the victims died of dengue. The patients’ relatives claimed that they were admitted to the hospital with dengue like symptoms. Many others were undergoing treatment at various hospitals with fever.

The senior state health department officials said that there is nothing to panic and urged the people to consult local doctors if one complains about fever. All the hospitals across the state have been asked to take adequate arrangements to combat the situation.