As the State braces for yet another southwest monsoon and a season of infectious diseases that follow, the Health Department has directed all its medical officers to strictly follow the treatment protocols it has prepared for treating dengue and leptospirosis.
Going by the early surveillance trends, the department is dreading an alarming situation, akin to the one in 2013 when at least 7,938 confirmed cases of dengue and 29 deaths had been reported in the State, as per official figures.
This year, as of June 3, a total of 4,806 suspected cases of dengue and six suspected deaths have been reported in the State.
Leptospirosis has also been showing an early increase, with 889 suspected cases.
The disease is already suspected to have claimed 29 lives across districts.
“We have prepared the standard treatment protocols for managing dengue and leptospirosis and uploaded it on our website. Lack of uniformity in treatment is one major factor which pushes up mortality and hence we want all doctors – in both public and private sector – to follow the standard treatment protocols. These have already been sent to medical officers and we have already initiated training for our doctors based on these guidelines,” Director of Health Services R. Ramesh said.
IMA roped in
He said that the department had sought the cooperation of the Indian Medical Association and Indian Academy of Paediatrics in implementing the standard treatment protocols. Physicians and paediatricians in general and taluk hospitals are currently undergoing training, who will in turn train doctors in the periphery.
Though all infectious diseases were steadily on the rise, the department was fully geared up to meet the situation, Dr. Ramesh said.
District medical officers have been given clear action plans, special fever clinics and wards have been readied in all hospitals.
The drug stock position has been assessed and directives issued to districts to make local purchases wherever necessary.
Block-level meetings are being held on June 7 and 9, when medical officers will conduct awareness classes on prevention and control of infectious diseases to all block-level field workers.
The Health Department has also directed all local bodies that all workers who are engaged for farming or canal/drain cleaning works be administered doxycycline two days before the actual work starts to prevent leptospirosis.
The department is also initiating steps so that all private hospitals in the State will have to mandatorily report the number of dengue cases it treats to the government.
Drug stock position has been assessed and directives issued to districts to make local purchases.
