Health, MC teams to be in action from today

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, April 20

The Municipal Corporation (MC) and the Health Department will conduct joint drives in the city to spread awareness on the prevention and curbing of vector-borne diseases and ailments like dengue and chikungunya.

In a joint workshop of the local body and the department held at the MC today, training was provided to 22 sanitary inspectors who shall visit various homes to carry out dry day drives in the district.

Representatives of both departments will also hold a meeting with the Deputy Commissioner on the issue tomorrow, following which a final outline for the dengue/chikungnya awareness drives shall be finalised. Held under Jai Inder Singh, Joint Commissioner, Jalandhar, health officials and sanitary inspectors of the MC were present at the meeting.

Officials present on the occasion included IDSP in charge Dr Surinder Kumar, Assistant Health Officer, MC Jalandhar, Dr Shri Kishan Sharma, Epidemiologist Dr Satish Kumar, Dr Preet Kamal, Dr Raj Kamal, Dr Varinder Rattan, Dr Surinder Abrol, Purshottam Lal, among others, were present on the occasion.

The teams shall specifically target the 32 sensitive areas in the district from where a majority of the ailments have been reported.

MC Assistant Health Officer, Shri Kishan Sharma, said, “Last year, we had only 13 sanitary inspectors and this year, their strength has considerably increased as we now have 22 inspectors. While we had also held dry day drives last year, this year we are in a position to hold them in a much better way for which designated sanitary inspectors and health officers shall be deputed to carry out the drives, along with health teams. We have been holding mapping of the sensitive areas identified for dengue and chikungniya as well. Intensive drives shall be held across these areas from Friday.”

While teams shall be sensitising residents as per the Information Communication Education (IEC) programme, the sanitation teams of the MC have been instructed to carry their challan books as well on the lines of the drives held last year, wherein violators letting larvae breed in their surroundings were challaned.

Representing the Health Department, District IDSP in charge Dr Surinder Kumar said, “We have already started drives across different areas. A health camp was also held in the Sheetal Nagar area today. We shall be starting drives after the meeting with the DC on the issue tomorrow. Residents across different areas shall be sensitised on the issue and violators shall also be challaned. We shall also be working in tandem with various other departments which include the MC, Panchayati Raj, sewerage board among others – the representatives of all of whom shall be present at the meeting with the DC tomorrow.”