Two flying squads of the Kochi Corporation’s health wing will hit the city roads early next month to attend to complaints of the public.
Each vehicle will have three officials, including a health inspector, who will look into complaints about the health department between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Toll-free number
Complaints can be about issues such as poor quality of food in eateries, preparation of food in unhygienic conditions, water logging, dumping and clearance of waste.
“Toll-free and dedicated telephone numbers of the squad will be displayed on its vehicles,” said T.K. Ashraf, chairman of the corporation’s Health Standing Committee.
Funds from the People’s Plan Programme would be used to purchase two five-seater jeeps for the squad.
“Plans are afoot to kickstart the programme on July 1,” Mr. Ashraf said.
Mobile clinics
Mobile clinics will be opened at all busy city centres on Monday to distribute preventive homoeopathic medicine. The move comes in the wake of the rise in fever cases in the city. Mobile clinics will be opened at bus stands, railway stations and markets. The civic administration plans to supply preventive medicines to at least 1 lakh people in two days.
Fogging of larvicides as part of the anti-mosquito drive will begin in the city when there is a let up in rain.
Incessant rainfall has reduced the pest menace in general. However, mosquito control measures need to be resumed as pests would breed in puddles.
Mosquito menace
Five power sprayers used in the city for fogging were found effective. The sprayers would be re-introduced when the monsoon subsides, a health official said.
The fever situation in the city is relatively better compared to other parts of the State, according to health officials. Only sporadic cases of dengue fever were reported in the city. Health officials said the number of dengue fever cases was higher than previous years.
