Health Minister visits Sohana, finds larvae breeding in wrappers at school

Punjab Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Balbir Singh, alongwith the administration and municipal corporation officials today visited Sohana village and took stock of the stagnating water in the pond there. Wild growth, algae, construction debris and plastic waste — all ingredients that make ideal conditions for the breeding of mosquitoes — were seen lying strewn in the area.

He oversaw the release of Gambusia fish to keep the larvae under control and asked ADC (UD) Damanjit Singh Mann to develop the area into a fitness centre by rejuvenating the existing pond and setting up a walking track around it.

Dr Balbir also joined students in the morning assembly at Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Sohana, and sensitised them about preventing dengue and other vector-borne diseases, including chikungunya and malaria. The minister was surprised to see that dengue larvae were breeding in biscuit wrappers, empty ice-cream cups, water containers and tanks at the smart school. The teachers and students were given demonstration on identifying and preventing the breeding of larvae.

Addressing the students, as a part of the ongoing campaign ‘Har Shukarwar, Dengue te War’, the minister said students could help prevent these deadly diseases by educating their parents about dry day activities. He asked them to help their parents eradicate dengue larvae from the vulnerable spots at their homes, including desert coolers, refrigerator trays, flower pots, vessels, etc by cleaning stagnant water once a week, on Friday.

Dr Balbir said the Health and Family Welfare Department would start educating students from Class VIII onwards in schools about health education, life skills, personal hygiene and nasal bleeding so that they could resolve these health issues on their own, besides assisting others.

Making residents of the areas, surrounding the school aware of dengue larvae, the Health Minister said educating people through IEC activities was better than treatment and that residents must identify all vulnerable spots in their homes and surrounding areas where water could stagnate and clean it once a week.

“The count of dengue patients is 264 this time in Mohali which is much less than the previous year,” he said.

Officials present during the visit were Director Health Services (Family Welfare) Dr Jasminder, ADC (UD) Damanjit Singh Mann, Mohali SDM Damanjit Kaur, Joint Commissioner Mohali MC Deepankar Garg, State Programme Officer (NVBDCP) Dr Arshdeep Kaur, Mohali DIO Dr Girish Dogra and District Epidemiologist Dr Haramandeep Kaur.