State to intensify vigil to check vector-borne diseases

kolkata: State Health department has decided to take up round-the-year surveillance to prevent vector-borne diseases as some health experts apprehend that there may be a dengue surge later this year with a sharp drop in Covid cases.

A roadmap is underway, which will involve multiple government departments and thereby taking a holistic approach for better dengue management.

During the previous years, the dengue cases in the state were comparatively on the lower side when Covid infection reached its peak. There is an apprehension among the experts that there may be surge in dengue this year with the Covid subsiding gradually.

According to sources in the Health department, there will be a multi-pronged approach to tackle dengue, which includes procurement and supply of larvicide to various civic bodies and Panchayats, supply of guppy fish, destroying mosquito breeding grounds.

An emphasis has been laid on house-to-house survey. A mobile App will be developed by the West Bengal Medical Service Corporations (WBMSC) to monitor the vector control activities by various municipalities. Bengal government has proposed a budget of around Rs 751 crore for taking up vector control measures.

The proposed mobile App will help the department to distribute larvicides and other necessary items to various civic bodies or Panchayats from time-to-time.

The civic bodies can put a request for more requirements on the mobile App, which will be directly addressed by the WBMSC. Departments like Urban development department, Panchayat department, health department will work in coordination.

State government has decided to induct around 1.13 lakh vector control workers across the state for the smooth implementation of the vector control measures. Both the cities and rural areas will be classified under two categories ~ major dengue-prone and minor dengue-prone areas, sources said.

"A 10-point agenda has already been charted which will be implemented under the jurisdiction of all the civic bodies. A rapid action team comprising 6-members will be constituted in all the municipality areas. There will be a vector control supervisor, who will monitor the drive. House-to-house survey will be carried out between July and November," a senior Health department official said.