KMC to continue dengue drive in Presidency, CU today

The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) team will visit Presidency University, Hare School and Calcutta University campus on Friday as a part of its drive against the larvae of dengue and malaria.

The drive, which will start at 11 am, will be led by Atin Ghosh, member, Mayor in council (Health). 

The civic authorities have decided to visit hospitals, private nursing homes, schools and colleges, institutional buildings belonging to state and central government as a part of its programme to check spread of dengue.

Meanwhile, KMC is working on a war footing to open five more dengue detection centres in the city in early September, Atin Ghosh, member, mayor- in- council (Health) said on Thursday.

This will take the total number of dengue detection centres in the city to 10. The KMC is also considering a proposal to keep two centres open round the clock. The civic authorities are likely to open five more dengue detection centres in near future. From January 1 to August 13, 290 people in the city have been afflicted with dengue, Ghosh said.

The KMC will launch a massive awareness programme from next week. The KMC has formed Rapid Action Team in the borough and central levels. The health workers are going from house to house to launch anti-larvae drive. They inspect the underground reservoirs and overhead tanks and if the covers of the tanks of reservoirs are missing and they ask the owners in case of individual houses and secretary of housing cooperatives to replace them. It may be recalled that KMC has already show-caused over 30 health department employees including two doctors for dereliction of duty.

It may be mentioned that due to the sustained effort by KMC, malaria has virtually been eradicated from the city. Anti larvae drives are carried out throughout the year and they are intensified at the onset of monsoon.

Ghosh said the KMC was keeping in constant touch with the state health department. KMC health department staffs are visiting pathological laboratories and private nursing homes to know the names of patients who have been detected with dengue.

“The anti larvae drive is on along with the awareness programme and people should not panic and contact KMC health offices when they are found suffering from fever,” said Ghosh.