Chief vector control officer of KMC urges PM Modi to recruit qualified entomologists

KOLKATA: Concerned over the lack of qualified entomologists in the Directorate of the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP), chief vector control officer of Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) entomologist Debashis Biswas has written an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to recruit qualified entomologists in NVBDCP at the earliest.

Permanent vacancies have emerged following the retirement of all entomologists from the Directorate of NVBDCP such as Dr RS Sharma, Dr SN Sharma, Dr PK Sribastav, Dr Kalpana Barua and so on, the letter by Biswas states.

He has reiterated that planning and implementing vector control strategies for prevention of malaria, dengue, Japanese Encephalitis (JE) and other vector-borne diseases is literally not feasible without the support of qualified adepts in entomology.

According to Biswas, not only the Directorate of National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme, but also the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) is running without entomologists.

“Given the situation, eliminating malaria from India by 2030 as pledged by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Govt of India, is not possible,” the letter reads.

He has pointed out that cases of dengue are increasing in India and many other countries around the world at a blistering pace.

“To win the battle against dengue, we need the technical guidance of qualified entomologists as vector control remains the only effective means of preventing this disease,” he further stated.

He has also raised concern over NVBDCP-run Regional Offices for H & FW located in different states of India by and large having no entomologists to monitor the ongoing vector control activities in the respective states.

At least one entomologist in every district has been deployed in Bengal and the process of recruiting more entomologists in the state is also underway.

He has requested the Prime Minister Narendra Modi that like Bengal, all other states should have a good number of entomologists for planning need-based control strategies against vectors.

Considering the fact that vector borne diseases particularly dengue proliferate in the monsoon season which is knocking at the door, Biswas has emphasised that the matter should be addressed on an urgent basis.

Biswas has posted the letter at his Facebook page.

‘Given the situation, eliminating malaria from India by

2030 as pledged by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Govt of India, is not possible...’