Pics: Spoorthi Ullal
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (MD)
Mangalore, May 11: Health minister U T Khadar on Saturday May 10 said that officials must take immediate steps to check the spread of diseases like malaria and dengue in the city.
He was presiding a review meeting of malaria control programme and a health campaign under the Mangalore city limits at the Mangalore City Corporation here on Saturday May 10.
Drawing comparisons between the city's malaria eradication report of this year and last year, U T Khadar said chances of outbreak of communicable diseases had increased this year due to increase in mosquitoes.
He said, "MCC has the power to close down shops in case they do not maintain their respected areas clean; the health department and MCC should join hands and work together to prevent malaria. There are around 330 buildings under construction; in each one of them there are almost 50-60 workers and nobody knows in what condition they are working and what is the condition of their health."
He added, "To eradicate malaria completely, we have to create awareness among the people by visiting their houses. There are many water tanks in Mangalore which should be cleaned immediately before the arrival of the monsoon. Mangalore should become a disease-free city."
In addition , J R Lobo, MLA of Mangalore south constituency suggested the health officials to find out the main reason for the diseases and said, "Sometimes diseases arise from the waste thrown in particular areas. Mangalore city is losing its beauty when compared to Kasargod. Kasargod is more beautiful than Mangalore.
"In Mangalore the worst places are the market areas. It is very difficult to walk inside the market. Jeppu market does not have a public toilet and I had requested the health officers many times but they did not respond and MCC too has failed to clean the markets," he said.
He also advised the health officials to look after the maintenance of public toilets and markets and ensuree that there is no water logging. "We have to give medicine to the causes, not to the diseases," he added.
With regard to the department of health, J R Lbo said that the department has collapsed and due to this the students who come from different areas are decreasing.
Mangalore north MLA Mohiuddin Bava said that the Suratkal locality does not have adequate drainage system and the place stinks the whole time.
"Everywhere roads are built in a nice way but the drainage facility is not provided," he added.
Mayor Mahabala Maarla said that if CREDAI and health officers visit construction areas, they will see loads of problems.
"A few hospitals have stopped giving malaria reports when the cases reach 25. Hospitals have to be efficient and keep forwarding the latest reports to the health sections," he said.
"Initially, MCC workers would go to houses and spray chemicals to keep the mosquitoes away but now there not enough staff to continue this work," said U T Khadar when asked about the spraying of chemicals in different areas.
Deputy mayor Kavitha, corporator Shashidhar Hegde, general health secretary Shiva Kumar and others were present during the meeting.