Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) deputing its multi-purpose workers (MPWs) for water bill collection, ignoring their main task of source reduction to control dengue and malaria, is one of the reasons for the outbreak of dengue in the city this month, according to some activists and health professionals.
The malaria parasite-carrying Anopheles mosquito and the dengue virus- carrying Aedes aegypti mosquito breed in freshwater.
The MCC started using Malaria Control Software, developed by Mangalore Medical Relief Society, on October 17, 2015. Right from detection of cases of malaria, this system is used to monitor treatment and track source reduction. The system works on information provided by laboratories, nursing homes and hospitals in the city. The services of 60-odd MPWs were being used mainly for this purpose, and each of them has been given a tab connected to the software.
Senior physician Srinivas Kakkilaya said that if the system had worked effectively, there would not have been an outbreak of dengue and malaria, which usually follows intermittent rain. An official from the Health Department said that in the critical months of April and May, these MPWs were busy issuing water bills. With this, source reduction work was ignored.
The city now has 739 positive cases of malaria, the official pointed out.
Activist Hanumanth Kamath said MPWs have been issuing water bills for the past eight months, following the termination of the agency subsequent to alleged deficiency in service. “The sidelining of malaria control has come at a heavy cost and we have lost three persons to the suspected dengue infection in the city,” Mr. Kamath said.
Though sidelining of malaria control by MPWs is an issue, activist Suresh Shetty said it can be reviewed at a later date and the primary focus now should be on source reduction. “We should join hands with the district administration’s ongoing drive for source reduction. We should regularly clear freshwater stocks in and around the house that have worm-like mosquito larvae,” he said.
While denying the allegation that deputing MPWs for issuing water bills has came at the cost of malaria and dengue control, ex-Mayor K. Bhaskar said bill issuance is among the few tasks given to MPWs who visit houses in their area for malaria source reduction and for follow-up with patients undergoing treatment for malaria.
