Corporation intensifies drive against malaria

Corporation intensifies drive against malaria

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Aug 11, 2015: Intensifying steps to contain cases of malaria, the Mangaluru City Corporation on Monday launched a two-day drive to identify and sanitise places where mosquitoes breed. Corporation teams will also ensure that people who have contracted the disease get the necessary treatment.

As many as 11 teams, comprising personnel from health, environment engineering and other departments of the corporation, along with 55 multipurpose health workers, whose services have been taken on contract, will be involved in the operation. They will visit 172 places in the city.

Chairman of the corporation Standing Committee on Health Prakash B. Salian, who flagged off the drive, said that they hoped to bring down significantly the number of malaria cases. He said that there has been a dip in the number of cases from 1,050 reported in August last year to 957 cases in the same month this year. “We have to work hard to bring down the number to zero, and raise our rating under Swachhata Abhiyan,” he said.

Mr. Salian asked the multipurpose health workers to not just restrict themselves to identifying and cleaning places where mosquitoes breed, but ensure that people disposed of waste in a proper manner and report civic problems to the corporation. “You have to work with a moto ‘Nimma Ooru Nimma Mane (Your city, your house)’,” he said.

After hearing out Mr. Salian, the health workers aired their problems. One of them said that the identity card did not identify them as those from the city corporation, causing problems in the discharge of their duty. “A few days ago, I was sent away from a house in the Police Quarters in Pandeshwar where I found a mosquito breeding site. The resident refused to tell his name and door number of the house as I was wearing the identity card issued by the security service agency (to which the health worker is associated),” she said. Another health worker said that she had been receiving obscene messages and calls on her mobile phone. There was also a complaint about irregular payment of their salary by the security agency where they are employed.

 

Courtesy: The hindu