Prevention better than cure, Health Dept tells residents

Sameer Singh

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, May 22

Inspection teams of the Health Department found three larvae of Aedes mosquito (dengue) from different locations in the city recently. Officials of the department asked residents to take precautionary measures before dengue spread its tentacles.

Atotal of 25 teams have been conducting inspections, door-to-door activity and awareness drives in the district.

The inspection teams found the larvae of Aedes mosquito that spreads dengue from three residential areas in the city — Haji Ratan, Balraj Nagar and Parasram Nagar. The team members destroyed the larvae on the spot and carried out fogging in the area and in houses so that dengue mosquito cannot breed there again. After one week, the inspection team again visited these areas to ensure that these areas were dengue larvae-free.

Talking to Bathinda Tribune, Dr Umesh Gupta, District Program Officer, National Vector Borne Disease Control Program, said, “Apart from constituting 25 teams for conducting awareness activity, we have formed one special inspection team, which goes door-to-door to ensure that residents follow the directions on prevention of dengue in their houses and vicinity. Sensing dengue threat, we have intensified awareness and inspection activity in the district. Apart from working in city areas, our teams have been conducting drives in rural areas as well.”

Dr Umesh Gupta said, “We have decided to impart training regarding dengue prevention to students in schools so that they know how to counter it. Owing to the Lok Sabha elections, we are a bit late but we have made full arrangements to tackle the menace. Apart from Health Department teams, there are village-level health sanitation teams that have been keeping a tab on the disease.”

He said the health teams had been exhorting residents to not let water accumulate for more than one week at one place. The awareness and prevention played a vital role in checking any disease. During the rainy season, the risk of vector-borne diseases increases. “The risk of dengue is one among these diseases that spread by Aedes aegypti. This mosquito breeds in clean water. We appeal to residents of the district that they should be aware about their health,” he said.

The Health Department teams have been carrying out surveys at different parts of the district and apart from spreading awareness they were destroying dengue larvae found on the spot.