Mangalore City Corporation will soon outsource 35 more multi-purpose health workers to tackle communicable diseases in its jurisdiction effectively.
The council of the corporation in its meeting on Thursday approved this proposal.
According to health section sources, the department currently has 57 multi-purpose health workers.
The council had approved to outsource 92 workers. It included seven health supervisors, three technicians, 50 health workers, 30 sprayers and two insect collectors.
With 57 workers, the civic body was not able to cover all wards effectively for taking anti-malaria and anti-dengue steps such as sample collection, data collection, identification of breeding centres, destroying larvae and distributing pamphlets for creating awareness.
Total coverageThe official said that with 92 workers it would be able to cover wards such as Panjimogaru, Pachchanady, Thiruvail, Alape, Kannur, Bajal, Bengre, Baikampady, Surathkal, Kulai, Katipalla, Hosabettu, Panambur, Mukka and Krishnapurua which had been left out.
Health workers will carry rapid diagnostic kits provided by health department through which malaria cases could be detected on the spot.
He said that with the absence of the required staff work was not being carried out in those wards.
The health workers were visiting only such spots from where malaria or dengue cases were reported to take control measures.
With more workers expected to join, field work, with awareness programmes and inspections, could be intensified.
SoftwareMeanwhile, a software to assist in malaria management was being developed. Mangalore Medical Relief Society has agreed to sponsor the production cost of the software and Infosys, I-Point and Code Craft Technologies Pvt. Ltd. have agreed to provide the technical and logistical support.
sThe society will pay the salaries of team members and other funds
The software, expected to cost about Rs. 5 lakh, might be ready by next March, the official said.
