State takes measures on war footing to check dengue spread

Kolkata: Following a spurt in dengue cases, the state government has decided to cancel the leave of all the officials and employees associated with dengue management while a high-level meeting was convened by the state’s Chief Secretary for issuing further directions.

The leaves will remain cancelled till the dengue situation improves. Intensive cleaning will be carried out at all the hotspots. All state and Central government institutions will be asked to conduct proper cleaning.

Following the instruction of the Chief Minister, Chief Secretary (CS) H K Dwivedi held a high-level meeting with the District Magistrates (DMs), Commissioner of Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) and the Chief Medical Officer of Health in the districts (CMoHs).

Secretaries of the Urban Development and Municipal Affairs, Panchayat and Rural Development, Public Works Department, and Health and Family Welfare were also present in the meeting.

Dwivedi directed the officials to ensure fever clinics and dengue testing facilities remain operational 24x7 at the government facilities in the affected areas. The DMs were directed to hold immediate meetings with all the councillors of all the affected urban local bodies and ensure preventive steps were taken.

DMs from four districts where the infection rate is higher were asked to remain alert. Legal actions will be initiated against property owners who don’t comply with the dengue preventive measures. Cleaning of marketplaces, both in urban and peri-urban areas, will be taken up. Special cleanliness drive will continue inside the hospital premises.

“Focused intensive cleaning will be taken up at all the hotspots immediately based on entomological alerts. Special emphasis will be given to the removal of scrap materials, and management of construction sites, closed factory premises and vacant lands. Railways and Metro authorities will be requested to take up proper cleaning activities within their premises along with adequate preventive activities at their construction sites.

Other Central government organisations will also be requested to take up intensive cleaning activities within their premises,” read a press statement issued by the state government.

District observers’ team will visit both the private and government medical facilities to conduct proper dengue management. All private clinical establishments will be requested to follow the state guidelines regarding dengue case management.

“Special drives will be taken in the peri-urban areas for improvement of sanitation and waste management. Micro plans will be prepared for long-term improvement of solid and liquid waste management in these areas. To prevent clogging of drainage, awareness generation against the use of single-use plastic will be done. Mosquito bed nets will be distributed in high-burden slum and hotspot areas,” the press statement read.