HEALTH

Dengue prevention measures reviewed
Tribune News Service

LUDHIANA, Oct 12 — A high-level meeting of the officers of the Health Department and the Municipal Corporation was held here today. The meeting was presided over by Deputy Commissioner S. K. Sandhu. He asked the officers of the Health Department and the Municipal Corporation to pay maximum attention to educate the people regarding the preventive measures keeping in view the reported dengue cases. 

He underlined the need for the removal of water from desert coolers, other utensils lying outside houses and removal of stagnant water in open places which were the potential breeding places for a particular type of mosquitoes which causes dengue.The DC allayed the apprehensions about the dengue epidemic in the city. He stated that all preventive measures had already been taken by the administration. He said that during this year, so far total 32 such cases had been reported in various hospitals of the city, which were less than 10 per cent of 361 cases reported during the corresponding period last year. 

Out of the total reported 32 cases, only 12 were confirmed cases. The Deputy Commissioner asked the medical officers to undertake complete survey of all areas falling under them and take preventive measures and also asked them to submit daily report to the Civil Surgeon regarding their progress. He warned that the doctor concerned would be held responsible in case of a large numbers of dengue cases were reported from the area already checked by him. He said there was no reason of panic and informed that the Municipal Corporation had already launched a comprehensive campaign of intensive fogging in the vulnerable areas. 

He also asked the representatives of the private hospitals to issue authenticated and verifiable information regarding the dengue cases and they should also mention the number of confirmed and suspected cases of dengue separately so that the people could get the true and factual information. 

He informed that the serology test for dengue cases could be got done from the Civil Hospital on the payment of Rs 500.The Civil Surgeon, Dr Rajinder Kaur, informed that the health department had been geared up to create awareness and all the medical officers and para-medical staff had been told to keep full vigilance in their areas. 

She said that the Civil Hospital Ludhiana and other dispensaries were fully equipped for the treatment of dengue patients. 

The representatives of various private hospitals assured that they would fully cooperate with the administration. Among others who attended the meeting were Mr S. R. Kaler, ADC, Ludhiana, Dr Waheguru Pal Singh, Medical Superintendent, Guru Teg Bahadur Charitable Hospital, Dr Anup Benjamin and Dr Vijay Obed both from CMC, Dr P. S. Brar, health officer, Municipal Corporation and Dr Parveen Sika, SMO, ESI, Ludhiana.

IMA members' clarification
From Our Correspondent

LUDHIANA, Oct 12 — Local members of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) took an exception to the statement of one of its former president that the IMA bhavan was under the managing committee of 10 persons, who had contributed towards its construction.

The four members namely Dr Waheguru Singh, Dr Balbir Shah, Dr Harbir Singh and Dr Gurcharan Singh said that the agreement signed by the IMA stated that it was to be managed by 16 members, four from the IMA, Ludhiana, four from the state unit of the IMA and eight life members. Out of the eight members, two had died and one had been shifted to Delhi. Other members told the committee members that they did not have any knowledge of funds of the IMA.

The four members further planned to call a meeting of members of the IMA's house managing

committee which would choose its chairman for running its affairs.

The members have welcomed the idea of former president to make the bhavan a club. The members said that they would request all IMA members of Punjab to hand over all documents related to the IMA bhavan. In the absence of any such document, the four- member committee will meet the SSP for lodging an FIR against those who did not submit the papers as the members had been authorised by the state working council to act as they felt fit for vacating the IMA house.