Sirsa CMO exhorts public to take preventive steps against malaria

Our Correspondent

Sirsa, April 25

Marking the World Malaria Day, an event was organised at Sirsa Civil Hospital. Chaired by Civil Surgeon Dr Mahendra Bhadu, the meeting was attended by Deputy Civil Surgeon (Health) Dr Rajesh Chaudhary, Deputy Civil Surgeon (Training) Dr Vipul Gupta, Deputy Civil Surgeon (Malaria) Dr Gaurav Arora and Epidemic Officer Dr Sanjay Kumar.

During the occasion, Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr Bhadu appealed to public to take preventive measures in order to combat vector-borne diseases. He said mosquitoes thrived in stagnant water and in order to prevent malaria, one must ensure that water did not stagnate around.

Sharing the preventive measures, he said all water containers must be covered, and tanks, coolers, pots, containers for birds and animals, and other water sources must be cleaned and refilled on a weekly basis.

He said people should ensure that water did not stand around their houses for more than a week, as mosquitoes laid their eggs in stagnant water, leading to the spread of malaria.

Dr Bhadu said the Health Department was fully committed to achieving the goal of a malaria-free India by 2030. As a result, malaria cases had significantly reduced in the last three years, and no malaria-related deaths were reported in the district, he added.

Dr Bhadu further said Health Department teams were actively surveying the densely populated areas, including slums, to inspect water sources and collect samples from residents for the prevention of malaria and dengue.

District Malaria Control Officer Dr Gaurav Arora emphasised the importance of public participation, along with the efforts made by the department to eliminate malaria. Awareness programmes, including quizzes, poster competitions and awareness rallies, will be organized from block to district levels involving school students, volunteers and departmental teams to educate the public about malaria prevention.

In Sirsa, there were eight malaria cases in 2021, seven in 2022 and eight in 2023. So far, the department has issued 31,000 slides related to malaria and 179 notices have to violators in 2024.

Additionally, 20 densely populated colonies in the city have been put on alert mode based on the Health Department’s survey. Measures such as the distribution of mosquito repellents and fogging are being undertaken to protect residents from mosquitoes in the areas prone to water stagnation.

These areas include Nath Mohalla, Bhatt Mohalla, Shamsabad Patti, Dhani Teja Singh, Sikligar Mohalla, Chatargarh Patti, Prem Nagar, Shakti Nagar, Kirti Nagar, Chandigarh Mohalla, Mela Ground, Subhash Basti, Mahavir Colony, Ther Mohalla, Peer Basti, Kuchiya Mohalla, Goshala Road, Sanjay Colony, Ekta Basti, Chandmari Dhani, Bajigar Mohalla, and Regar Mohalla.

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