On Rakhi, a unique drive to spearhead campaign against dengue

Kolkata: A unique drive to create awareness against dengue through distribution of rakhis will be organised on Sunday.

Medical Bank, a well known organisation involved in blood donation movement in Bengal for the past 38 years, will distribute 5,000 rakhis on Sunday that will be celebrated as Rakshabandhan Day throughout the country.

School students along with members of the Medical Bank will tie rakhis on the wrists of those carrying placards with slogans about creating awareness on dengue.

D Ashis, secretary of the organisation, said the distribution will start from Sovabazar-Sutanuti. Rakhis will be distributed in Tollygunge, Bhowanipore, Bansdroni, Haridebpur and other areas. Last year, Medical Bank had launched the "Safe Drive Save Life" campaign by distributing rakhis with the message.

It may be mentioned that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has urged all civic bodies and NGOs to lodge campaign to create awareness on prevention of dengue and other mosquito-borne diseases.

D Ashis further said that despite the campaigns lodged by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation to create awareness against dengue, the authorities of institutional buildings including hospitals, nursing homes and schools are not following the instructions properly. The civic authorities have pulled them up and served notices to them as well. But there is lukewarm response from the public, he maintained. He felt that to make the awareness campaign successful, there should be participation of clubs and NGOs on a bigger scale.

Welcoming the move of Medical Bank, senior officials of the KMC's health department said such ventures can be highly effective as an auspicious occasion may be the perfect start to take initiatives to create awareness.