Post CM's nudge, civic bodies push pedal on anti-dengue surveillance

kolkata: Following Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's instruction, various civic bodies are preparing a comprehensive roadmap to strengthen surveillance to check dengue and malaria this season. Anti dengue campaigns have already been initiated in different districts and also by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC).

Chief Minister Banerjee during a recent meeting asked the top brass to conduct an effective drive against vector borne diseases. Health experts also apprehend that dengue malaria cases may go up this season. It may be mentioned here that District Magistrate of North 24-Parganas Sumit Gupta along with the Chief Medical Officer of Health in the district Dr Tapas Roy paid a visit to several areas under Panihati municipality on Thursday where dengue cases have been reported recently. A meeting was held to check the preparedness of the civic body to check dengue and malaria in the region. DM asked the civic officials to ensure that there is no mosquito breeding ground. State health department has already directed all the civic bodies to strengthen the drive against vector borne diseases.

The State Health department has also issued guidelines to the civic bodies as to how to tackle the situation in some pockets where the dengue and malaria cases have been reported. Instructions have been given to the district health officials regarding the treatment of such patients. The vector control cell of the Health department has been collecting data from all the districts on a regular basis and monitoring the situation.

The district Health officials have already been asked to strengthen surveillance to ensure that there is no accumulated water in any places. Ahead of the rainy season, the State health department has directed all the government hospitals and laboratories to conduct malaria and dengue tests if the patients are suffering from fever and other suspected symptoms.

All the laboratories and government hospitals will also have to share data relating to dengue, malaria tests with Swasthya Bhawan on a daily basis.