Cleanliness key to ward off dengue, malaria

Our Correspondent

Dera Bassi/Zirakpur, Sept 15

Call it an effect of the fear triggered by the recent death of a three-year-old child suffering from swine flu in Zirakpur, the health authorities are nowadays focusing their attention carrying out fogging drives to check the spread of malaria and dengue.

To date, five swine flu cases have been reported from Zirakpur town. Out of this, one patient had died, while others are undergoing treatment. The Health Department had deputed various teams to survey the entire city, particularly the area from where these cases are being reported.

The Civil Hospital and the community health centres in the Dera Bassi constituency have kept isolation wards for swine flu patients in case of an emergency. The Community Health Centre at Dhakoli has arranged a separate isolation ward and has kept necessary medicines and oxygen cylinders to deal with any emergency situation.

Besides maintaining an exclusive ward for patients at the hospital, the authorities had planned to roll out an awareness campaign to ensure that people take all precautions to keep themselves safe from exposure to the H1N1 influenza virus.

As per the health authorities in the Dera Bassi block, 64 persons have tested positive for malaria from March 2017 onwards to date. Following complaints of fever, blood samples of several persons were collected during the past months, out of which 64 tested positive.

Five pregnant women, whose blood samples were collected, have tested positive for malaria. Apart from this, eight persons tested positive for dengue in the Dera Bassi block from March onwards.

Though sources from the Health Department have been claiming that it had taken a host of measures to check the spread of malaria and dengue, their impact is yet to be seen on ground.

“The demand for fogging has also come from various localities in the town where poor drainage system and dumped garbage have resulted in the growth of mosquitoes in a large number,” said residents of Bishanpura.

Rita Bhardwaj, Civil Surgeon, Mohali, said: “The department had already stepped up the drive to create awareness about cleaning coolers to check breeding of mosquitoes, while fogging has been undertaken on a war footing in areas from where cases have been reported”.

Woman’s death due to fever leaves people jittery 

The death of a woman (38), a resident of Bishanpura village, Zirakpur, due to fever on September 7 has left villagers jittery. Though the villagers claimed that she died of dengue, the health authorities here claim that it was not an established case of dengue as the tests were not carried out in a government-authorised laboratory.

Civil Hospital lacks “cell counter” machine

The Civil Hospital, Dera Bassi, has no “cell counter” machine to check the platelet count of patients. Patients visiting the Civil Hospital face inconvenience as the hospital does not have proper equipment for testing. Sangeeta Jain, SMO, Dera Bassi, did not pick up the phone despite repeated attempts.