kolkata: The State government has directed all the districts to strengthen the drive against vector-borne diseases to ensure that dengue cases do not go up this season.
Following the direction of the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Chief Secretary (CS) HK Dwivedi convened a meeting of the Core Committee on Prevention and Management of Dengue on Thursday to review the action plan for the prevention of dengue in the financial year 2023-24.
He met with secretaries of sixteen stakeholder departments at Nabanna giving necessary guidelines to check the spread of dengue.
The District Magistrates (DMs) also took part in the meeting virtually. District Magistrates of high caseload districts and other officials attended the meeting. The Home Secretary and Finance Secretary were also present at the meeting.
A budget of Rs 815 crore has been sanctioned for the prevention of dengue and the treatment of dengue patients.
It was decided in the meeting that a total of 1.32 lakh persons will be deployed in rural and urban areas for house visits and vector control activity.
In Urban areas, the vector control activity has already started in March 2023 and will continue till December 2023. In the case of rural areas, 15 member teams will be deployed in each Gram Panchayat for house visits and vector control activity from January to December and in the case of peri-urban areas, additional manpower will be deployed for intensive house visits and vector control activities.
Dengue Testing Centres will be increased in 60 more government hospitals and municipality hospitals. A total of 1500 km of canals will be brought under AMC and these canals will be cleaned at least two times each week. Closed factory premises, government office premises, bus depots, dumping grounds, and vacant lands will be closely monitored and cleaned during the pre-monsoon period.
The School Education department, Social Welfare department, Police and Housing department have been asked to take initiative for the generation of awareness among the community.
Around 8,500 medical officers and paramedical staff will be trained during the pre-monsoon period for the treatment of dengue patients.
ASHA workers, Anganwadi workers, SHG members, Municipal Ward Committees, and Village Health Sanitation and Nutrition Committee members will be sensitised for the generation of awareness at the community level. Dengue week will be observed from May 29 to June 4 and massive cleaning activities will be taken up in rural and urban areas during that period. IT initiative will be taken up for data capture, analysis and more focused action. Solid and Liquid waste management will be taken up in all of the 140 peri-urban Gram Panchayats for proper disposal of waste. Identity Cards and Jackets will be issued to all house visit team members and Vector control team members in urban and rural areas.