Listing health care in the girijan areas, a holistic approach with bigger vision for development of the richly endowed city as a metropolis and rehabilitation with a human touch as his priorities, District Collector Lav Agarwal sought the co-operation of all concerned for forming all-encompassing team to work with common clarity.
Participating in a Meet the Press programme organised by Vizag Journalists' Forum on Friday, he sought media's co-operation in creating a positive public opinion even while doing his duty impartially. The Collector should be like a relative of the poor, he felt.
On the steps being taken to combat diseases, mainly fever and jaundice, in the girijan area comprising 3,000 habitations, he said district-level officials were made special officers, half the salary dues of community health workers cleared, calling for a short-tender notice, 2.15 tonnes of alpha cypermethrin (ACM) for spraying had been procured and an additional 6.75 tonnes would be obtained. Spraying had already been made in eight habitations. DDT was also sprayed.
A team of doctors from KGH fanned out to villages with medicine kits. After 10 days, another team would be sent. More medicines would be made available to health workers. Besides, filling vacancies of doctor posts in primary health centres on deputation, the number in area hospitals was increased. The Red Cross would distribute 10,000 mosquito nets. Where ambulance could not go, the cost of transporting patients by any means would be paid.
Since April, 58 deaths occurred, Mr. Agarwal said even as he maintained, based on blood serum tests, that the incidence of malaria this year was lesser than last year.
The DM&HO was spending 75 per cent of her time in the agency, the Collector said.
He wanted credit given to doctors citing instances of a woman doctor staying alone in a hospital and a doctor saving a life after a week's treatment. There was, however, a need for a sustained effort for three, four years to change girijans' habits (of eating) and approach to sanitation.
Rehabilitation
On rehabilitation to those displaced by industries, he would see to it that whatever was legally laid down reached the genuine and ruled out entering any private negotiation.
Stating that he had rejected cushy jobs to join IAS, he quoted examples of success in saving Kolleru sanctuary and bringing down T&D losses in EPDCL, among others, as result of working together and motivating employees. VJF president M. Yugandhar Reddy and secretary G. Srinubabu participated.
