Anti-dengue vigil intensified in rural areas across Bengal

kolkata: Following the state government's directives, anti-dengue surveillance has been strengthened in rural areas as well.

The State Panchayat and Rural Development department has been given clear instructions as to how to carry out the drive to check dengue cases.State Health department has already deployed specialists in community medicine to help the state public health cell of the Panchayat and Rural Development department. Unlike previous years, dengue cases have been reported from the rural areas this year. Usually the dengue cases are mostly found in the urban areas.

Howrah Municipal Corporation has seen a decline in dengue cases recently after it took several anti dengue campaigns. According to a senior health department official, among the other districts, more cases are being reported from Kolkata, North 24-Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly, Murshidabad, South 24-Parganas and Darjeeling. According to sources, Bengal this season registered more than 12,000 infected cases so far. Health officials apprehend that the number may further go up as dengue cases will be reported across the state till November. As per health department's data, around 324 fresh dengue cases were reported in the state on Sunday. As many as 513 dengue affected people were under treatment in various government hospitals of the state till Sunday evening.

Health department has already directed the private labs to regulate pricing of tests within a reasonable limit or else the government will intervene. All the private hospitals have been urged to charge dengue and malaria patients rationally. Standard treatment protocols, as laid down by the state health department, have to be followed by all the private hospitals.

Following the advisories of the health department, all the hospitals in the state are now uploading treatment details of dengue and malaria patients on the department's website so that the state. As dengue and malaria are notifiable diseases, all the hospitals have to report cases under their treatment on a regular basis from now. It may be mentioned here that the state government has already ensured dedicated dengue beds in various government hospitals in the city.

As there has been a rise in dengue cases in South Dum Dum, the local civic body has increased the number of beds in the municipality-run hospital. More than 110 people have been affected with dengue under the jurisdiction of the south Dum Dum municipality out of which around 22 are undergoing treatment

in hospital.