KMC to organise workshop on vector-borne diseases

Kolkata: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) will organise a workshop on vector-borne diseases at Rabindra Sadan on April 28, to create awareness among people from all walks of life, including doctors and paramedical staff.

Mayor Sovan Chatterjee will inaugurate the workshop, while Chandrima Bhattacharya, minister of state for Health, will be the chief guest. Atin Ghosh, member, mayor-in-council (Health), all the councillors of KMC, senior officials of KMC Health department and representatives of various NGOs will also be present.

It may be mentioned that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has asked all the civic bodies, Gram Panchayats and Zilla Parishads to take up the issue of vector-borne diseases and unknown fever seriously and clean the areas under their jurisdiction, round the year.

In all the administrative review meetings which were held recently, Banerjee had repeatedly directed to take up drives against dengue "very seriously". The state government has also given Rs 4 crore to KMC, to create awareness against vector-borne diseases. The workshop is a part of the awareness campaign.

Atin Ghosh said as the dengue carrying mosquitoes have changed their breeding pattern due to global warming, KMC is carrying out anti-larvae drives throughout the year. KMC officials are visiting the houses to inspect underground reservoirs and overhead tanks.

In places where the covers of the reservoirs are found to be missing, the owners are being requested to replace them immediately. In January, KMC had held a march where people from all walks of life took part. People have also been asked to clean containers used to store water. A close interaction between KMC doctors and their counterparts in state-run hospitals and private nursing homes are required, as KMC is following the guidelines of World Health Organisation (WHO) to combat Dengue.

There are 15 free Dengue detection centres run by KMC. He said cooperation of people from all walks of life is required for successful prevention of the outbreak of the disease.