MCC to involve doctors, medical students, and social organisations to control dengue

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, July 10, 2024: Doctors, medical students, and volunteers from different social organisations will be involved in combating and preventing the spread of dengue in Mangaluru, said Mayor Sudheer Shetty Kannur in Mangaluru on Tuesday, July 9.

Chairing a meeting to review Dengue mitigation measures, Mr. Kannur said the MCC will revive Malaria Cells and involve doctors, including Srinivas Kakkilaya and Shantaram Baliga, who were earlier part of the Cell, in dengue treatment and mitigation measures. A committee comprising councillors and public health experts will be formed to oversee dengue mitigation measures, he said.

District Vector-Borne Disease Control Officer Naveenchandra Kulal said intermittent rains in the city have led to an increase in Dengue, which is caused by a bite of freshwater breeding Aedes aegypti mosquito. “Compared to other parts of the State, we are better placed in terms of cases reported in Dakshina Kannada (263 cases in Dakshina Kannada district of which 118 cases are from Mangaluru). The only way to mitigate Dengue is by removing freshwater deposits where Aedes aegypti mosquito breed and also by preventing dengue infected person from getting bitten by Aedes mosquito,” Dr. Kulal said.

Dr. Kulal said every laboratory in the district has been linked to the integrated health information platform. Soon after the blood test results of patients come positive and are uploaded, the Disease Surveillance Office forwards the same to the concerned primary health centre from where mitigation measures are taken up by multipurpose workers. Squads are spraying ‘Temephos’ and ‘BTI’ powder, at regular intervals, on freshwater deposits where mosquitoes breed. Guppy fishes, which eat mosquito larvae, are also being released in wells and other large freshwater bodies. Dr. Kulal expressed the need for an effective mechanism of waste disposal.

MCC Commissioner C.L. Anand said of the 60 wards, dengue cases were majorly coming from 10 wards in the city. Dedicated teams have been formed for methodically spraying Temephos. Fogging was being done in vulnerable areas on a war footing. Penalties are being collected from owners of houses and other establishments who are found negligent in clearing mosquito breeding sites.

Member of Parliament Capt. Brijesh Chowta and D. Vedavyasa Kamath, Mangaluru City South MLA, expressed need for a better system of reporting of dengue, which includes setting up a call centre.

Councillors M. Shashidhar Hegde, Premanand Shetty, Naveen R D’souza, A.C. Vinayraj, Sangeetha Nayak, Varun Chowta and Kadri Manohar Shetty also spoke.