Dengue mosquito larvae found in Lohia hospital and institute
LUCKNOW: Larvae of dengue causing mosquito (Aedes aegypti) were found at Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences and the adjacent Lohia hospital, on Tuesday. This set alarm bells ringing, as thousands of patients come to the hospital daily for treatment of various ailments, including dengue.
Just a day earlier, HT had carried a news report about the presence of stagnant water on the campus of the medical institute posing a threat of vector-borne diseases to the staff and the patients.
On Tuesday, health department officials inspected the campuses of both Lohia institute and hospital. In the hospital, the team found larvae in a cooler and flower pots, while at the institute, larvae were found on the terrace of the administrative building.
Several puddles of water were noticed by the team, which also directed the staff to check for any other source of mosquito breeding and to remove it immediately.
The health department has been running a campaign to check mosquito breeding. Unused items with stagnant water such as flower pots, tyres, cups, earthen pots and coolers are under the team’s scrutiny.
“People should initiate steps and keep their premises clear of stagnant water -- the source for mosquito breeding. This simple step can help curb diseases such as dengue,” said Dr Sandeep Kapoor, director Healthcity hospital.
Health department teams also visited homes in Khadra area and issues notices to 25 houses and a school where conditions were found favourable for mosquito breeding.