The Health Department is focussing on public places such as theatres, railway stations, Government and private offices as part of its measures to prevent epidemic outbreaks during the North-East monsoon.
The department had also sought the recruitment of 370 health mazdoors (workers), to be deployed in equal numbers in the 37 town panchayats of Coimbatore district, to combat vector-borne and water-borne diseases, S. Somasundaram, Deputy Director of Health Services, told The Hindu .
As of now, these town panchayats had 340 mazdoors totally. Further, each of the 12 health blocks in the district that cover the rural areas had 20 mazdoors for the village panchayats. As part of this campaign, isolation wards were being established in all the nine Government Hospitals and at the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital to treat patients suffering from infectious diseases. The district recorded eight cases of dengue in October.
The main objective of these initiatives was to prevent outbreak of diseases such as chikungunya, dengue, diarrhoea and malaria. The health workers were tasked with mosquito source reduction activities such as preventing stagnation and accumulation of water on streets and in public places, he said. These measures would be extended to the Government and private offices, railway stations, yards, theatres, and market places, besides the quarters of the police and Tamil Nadu Housing Board this year.
Dr. Somasundaram said that the local bodies and Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board had been instructed to undertake periodical cleaning and chlorination of water tanks and overhead tanks. Further, special teams had also been constituted to undertake an Information, Education and Communication campaign in the rural areas. Health education classes would be conducted at the Government and private schools and colleges.
These measures were reviewed by the Epidemic Control Committee recently. Chaired by the Collector, the committee comprised the Deputy Director of Public Health, who is the Secretary and the District Revenue Officer, who also is the Epidemic Control Officer.
