With a fortnight left for the likely onset of southwest monsoon, Health authorities of Kochi are planning a mass drive in the city to curb any possible outbreak of diseases.
Health officials, in association with associations of city residents, will soon launch a campaign to remove non-biodegradable waste from house compounds. Empty bottles and other utensils in which mosquitoes are likely to breed need to be removed.
During the drive, the civic body will provide lorries for lifting refuse from homes. The associations should coordinate the collection of waste from the houses of their members. The civic body will lift the waste and transport it to safe sites at its own expense.
The reduction of mosquito breeding points was important to prevent the outbreak of diseases such as dengue fever, said V.K. Minimol, chairperson of the Health Standing Committee of the Kochi Corporation.
Usually, the outbreak of dengue fever is reported during May. Last year, around 100 cases of dengue fever and two deaths were reported in the city. This year, no such cases had been reported from the city, she said.
The civic administration has approached district medical authorities as well as private hospitals to share information on the outbreak of dengue and other contagious diseases. The places of possible origin of the disease need to be known for undertaking pest control measures like fogging and sanitation. “A large number of patients depend on private hospitals for the treatment of the disease and most of the incidents go unreported,” she said.
The civic administration has also sought the support of residents for obtaining the information on diseases. Sanitation and mosquito control measures, if initiated on time, would help in improving the public health situation and preventing the spread of diseases, she said.
Flooding
Six squads of the health wing will be formed within a few weeks to deal with any cases of flooding in the city. The civic administration has already initiated the works for the formation of the squads. The paperwork for procuring essential tools for the squads is progressing. The civic body would shortly announce the names and contact numbers of the officials leading the squads, she said.
Apprehensions
Even while the civic authorities claimed that the small drains that run through the city have been cleaned, complaints about the work have surfaced. “Though the cleaning of drains has started in the city, it has not been completed. It’s doubtful whether the job will be over before the onset of monsoon,” said V.P. Chandran, CPI(M) councillor.
The city would have to face the risk of flooding if the cleaning of drains was not completed on time, he cautioned.
