Software to identify vector-prone areas

Kolkata: The state government has developed software for data analysis to identify the level of vulnerability of vector-borne diseases in an area. This comes at the time when the state government has also prepared an action plan to control the same.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee held a health review meeting in the state Assembly on Wednesday in which ministers and senior officials of all the concerned departments and civic bodies were present.

Chandrima Bhattacharya, Minister of State for health, said after the meeting: "For the first time a manual State Vector-Borne Disease Control and Seasonal Influenza Plan 2018 has been released. The book contains details on proper coordination among all the concerned departments that need to work together to check the spread of such diseases."

It may be mentioned that the Chief Minister has held several health review meetings and the state government has begun to monitor and work in tandem from January onwards to check vector-borne diseases this year. She has already held meetings in these regard with all the concerned officials and has given all the necessary directions in this connection.

Health workers are busy doing door-to-door campaigns and collecting information on the health of each and every citizen. This data will be analysed using the software to ascertain which area is more vulnerable to the outbreak of vector-borne diseases. This new concept of "dynamic monitoring" will help to reduce the number of cases of vector-borne diseases in the state.

The Bengal government has also decided to introduce nine more Elisa machines that will be in use in central laboratories. Moreover, authorities of private pathological laboratories have also been directed to inform the local civic body if they find any person suffering from vector-borne diseases.

The issue related to regular cleaning of the premises where Central government offices are situated also came up in the meeting. It was stated that there are many such places where employees of local civic bodies are not allowed to undertake cleaning. In such cases, either they clean the places or allow the state government to do the same.