Statewide drive to combat dengue
COORDINATED EFFORT Officials told to take assistance from various depts to check the spread of disease
LUCKNOW: The state health department has decided to launch a statewide coordinated drive to check the spread of dengue.
Principal secretary, health and family welfare, Arun Kumar Sinha has shot off a letter to the divisional commissioners and district magistrates to take assistance of all government departments to protect people from dengue.
Sinha has told officers that along with the health department they should take assistance of education department, urban development department, panchayati raj, entertainment tax department, rural development, women & child development, information departments and Civil Defence to check the spread of dengue.
Talking to HT Sinha said, “Dengue cases have been reported in several districts. There is panic among the people as well. The cases of common fever are being treated as that of dengue. There is need for coordinated effort by government departments to check the spread of the disease and provide precise information about the disease as well,” he said.
Education department officers have been told to direct school administrations to create awareness among students on cleanliness and sanitation during morning assemblies.
The urban development department has been told to launch cleanliness drive in the city and organise solid waste management programme in urban areas.
The Panchayati Raj department has been asked to clear water-logged areas and check breeding of mosquitoes in wells and water pump stations.
“We have urged the entertainment tax department to educate people about vectorborne diseases through slide shows during screening of movies, broadcast of awareness messages on radio, FM channels and cable TV,” said Sinha.
The rural development department has been told to clean drains in villages and to check waterlogging at the construction sites. T
The Information department will give detail of the protection measures on print and electronic media. The Civil Defence department will assist the patients in reaching the hospital and ensure that they get adequate facilities in the hospitals as well.
The CMOs and chief medical superintendents (CMS) have been told to set up ‘Fever, Health and Counselling Desks’ in hospitals to counsel patients infected with mosquito-borne diseases. Along with reserving beds for dengue patients, hospitals have also been asked to make arrangements for pathology tests.
On Thursday, the National Human Rights Commission had issued notice to the state government over lack of medical care facilities and apathy in government-run hospitals. RLD STATE CHIEF FLAYS GOVT
Taking potshots at the state government over the dengue menace in state, the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) said the health department seemed to have stopped functioning, leaving patients to their fate.
RLD state president Masood Ahmad said the uncontrolled spread of dengue in the state capital had exposed the government’s tall claims on health services.
According to Masood, dozens of dengue patients had died in UP due to lack of treatment and medicines in government hospitals.