KMC comes up with 5 health centres for dengue, malaria patients

kolkata: Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has decided to come up with five secondary health centres in Kolkata for treatment of patients affected with dengue and malaria.

The first such centre will come up at Kidderpore, where there will be facilities of 100 beds. Meanwhile, with a rise in COVID cases under Rajpur Sonarpur municipality area, the administration has decided to keep markets and shops except those of essential commodities closed from October 28 to 30.

It has been found that the majority of the cases in South 24-Parganas are from Rajpur–Sonarpur municipality area. In the past 14 days, active cases in Rajpur Sonarpur municpality area have stood at 200.

The dengue cases in Kolkata have remained under control but malaria cases are going up in the city. As per data of the Health department, among the persons affected with malaria in the state 80 per cent are from Kolkata.

"Malaria and dengue patients will be primarily treated in these centres and if there is deterioration in their health conditions, they will be taken to hospitals. This will also ease the pressure of patients in big hospitals," Firhad Hakim, chairman Board of Administrators, KMC said.

Hakim held a meeting with senior officials of KMC's Health department and Kolkata Police and reviewed the COVID, dengue and malaria situation in the city.

Hakim has asked the Kolkata Police to ensure that no buying and selling in the markets without masks. The street hawkers will also have to wear masks. "The police will take action against the hawkers not wearing masks," he said.

The market associations have been urged to take proactive measures so that the buyers and the sellers wear masks.