To improve the monitoring and effective implementation of house-to-house surveillance for prevention and control of dengue, the state Health department has decided to develop an SMS alert system.
The state government has allocated a fund of Rs 12,20,000 in the first phase of the financial year 2017-18 for starting the project which will be implemented by the State Urban Development Agency (SUDA) for implementing the project.
People throughout the state, especially in the areas where maximum number of dengue cases are reported during its outbreak, will be able to avail various services in this regard through messages. The steps would also enable the state Health department to know if a person is suffering from dengue-like symptoms.
The family members of a suspected victim can also get in touch with the Health department through the proposed service and will be able to know about what steps can be taken or where to take the patient. The state Health department will have a detailed picture of what is happening in every district and can check the disease before it takes an ugly turn. A data can also be maintained by the department.
It has often been found that tests are not properly done especially in the districts thus the total number of victims reported from districts remains incorrect. Some private clinics taking advantages of the situation make profit and their reports are often found to be inaccurate. If the patients or their relatives can keep in touch with the Health department and share information, it would become really helpful for them. The patients will get to know in which state-run health centre they would get the best treatment or where the blood tests are conducted by the Health department.
According to a senior official of the department, awareness campaigns can also be conducted among the people once the new project takes off.
It may be mentioned that the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has taken up a similar initiative to check the spread of the dengue, malaria and the other vector-borne diseases. KMC has also decided to introduce a new mobile application which will provide information relating to the KMC-run health centres and various health services that they provide.
A new mobile application will be introduced for the benefits of the people living under the KMC areas. People living under its area will also be able to know the services
available with various KMC-run health centres by downloading the app on their mobile phones.