Combating of diseases: NKDA to convert e-health centres to vector control units

New Town Kolkata Development Authority (NKDA) will convert the e-health centres into those for vector control ones as a part of the comprehensive schemes taken up to combat the spread of the disease.

The decision was taken at the board meeting of NKDA held on Monday.

There are three e-health centres in New Town. One is located at Swapna Bhor while the other two are situated at the office building at Action Area 3 ( AA3) and at Jatragachi at Action Area 2 ( AA2). A qualified doctor is looking after the three centres with para-medical staff who know how to operate the machine donated by HP under their CSR activity a few months ago.

From now, these centres will function as vector control centres. Blood tests will be conducted free-of-cost. The Chief Medical Officer of Health (CMOH) North 24 Parganas along with the district administration will launch a joint awareness campaign and conduct blood tests.

NKDA has appointed Professor Gautam Chanda of Burdwan University as an honorary consultant for the control of mosquitoes. Professor Chanda along with his team will survey the waterbodies in New Town and suggest methods of mosquito control. 

A booklet containing Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on mosquitoes , their breeding habits and do's and don't's will be distributed to schools and citizen groups.

NKDA will launch a massive campaign involving the schools and citizen groups to control the spread of the disease. A vector control expert in the city said that because of global warming, the mosquitoes had changed their breeding habits and awareness campaign round the year was required. "It is not possible for the civic authorities alone to check the spread of the disease. 

The citizens should take initiative like sleeping under mosquito nets, cleaning the jars or buckets where water is stored at least once in a week and clear the water stored in flower vases at least once in three days to control vector-borne diseases," an entomologist said.

Firhad Hakim, state Urban development minister said the department had asked all the civic bodies throughout the state to launch awareness campaigns and take drives to destroy mosquito larvae.