Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (SP)
Mangalore, Jun 23: Dakshina Kannada zilla panchayat chief executive officer P Shivashankar informed that a sum of Rs 36, 80,000 at the rate of Rs 10,000 each, is being released to all the 368 village sanitation committees to tackle the looming danger of the spread of dengue, chikungunya, malaria and such other diseases acquiring endemic proportions during the monsoon months. The funds are being released under the National Rural Health Campaign, he divulged. In addition, a sum of Rs 25,000 each to primary health centres, Rs 50,000 each to community health centres and Rs 50,000 each to taluk hospitals is also being released, he added.
He was addressing a meeting of the district and taluk level officials of the health and family welfare department convened at the office of the deputy commissioner here on Monday June 22, to discuss precautionary steps needed to be taken, to contain the spread of infectious diseases.
Rapid Action Teams have been formed at the primary health centre level to provide emergency assistance in case the diseases spread at a rapid pace. These teams, which also comprise of technical staff, will visit the spots, collect blood samples of the affected people for conducting tests thereof, besides submitting periodical reports, he explained.
Teams will visit every household in the district for a month from now on, to check the diseases, once a week and conduct survey. Workers of Anganwadis will be involved mainly in this task. A 2,200 strong team has been formed to visit rural houses. The present team of 50 in the city is planned to be expanded to 500. Steps will be taken after holding discussions with the deputy commissioner, Shivashankar explained. He also said that insecticides will be sprayed and fogging will be undertaken in all the houses in the affected villages.
Out of the 18 blood samples sent so far for verification, eight have tested positive for dengue. Blood test in case of the balance 20 patients, who are suspected to be suffering from dengue, is yet to be conducted, said district health officer Dr Jagannath. He also added that no deaths have so far occurred in the district from dengue and that the death of Jacinta Rebello, suspected to have been caused by dengue, has been proved otherwise through medical tests.
The people are advised to take all precautions to protect themselves from mosquito bites, destroy mosquito breeding centres, get the blood tested as soon they suffer from fever symptoms and consume medicines prescribed by the doctors promptly. Symptoms of dengue are high fever, acute pain around the eyes, sustained weakness and notable reduction in hunger.