The health wing of the city Corporation has come under harsh criticism from Health Secretary Rajeev Sadanandan for failing to take timely steps to contain the dengue outbreak in the capital city, despite advanced warning. Thiruvananthapuram is the district with the maximum number of dengue cases in the State, with more than 1,900 cases in the Corporation area alone.
Mr. Sadanandan said that the local body was given an advanced warning of the possibility of a large-scale dengue outbreak as early as December.
No campaigns
“In December itself, we had got an idea that there will be a major outbreak of dengue, if we are unable to contain the growth of mosquito population. We had issued warnings to all local bodies. But Thiruvananthapuram Corporation ignored all our warnings. It has not taken up any preventive action and failed to remove accumulated waste, including plastics. There has been no door-to-door awareness campaign. So, while all other districts were able to bring dengue under control after the initial outbreak, the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation has failed to do so,” said the Health Secretary.
Visits hospital
He on Wednesday visited the General Hospital, where more than 50 staff members have been affected by dengue fever.
The health wing employees of the Corporation has been spending much of their energies in the past few weeks in enforcing the Corporation’s plastic ban, by conducting raids and by organising awareness campaigns. There has also been a spate of events organised by the Corporation, including the Green Expo and the agricultural mela, which stretched on for weeks. Some of the resources which could have been used for the anti-dengue drive were thus diverted for other tasks.
‘Did everything’
However, K. Sreekumar, Chairman of the Corporation’s Health Standing Committee, said that the Corporation had done everything to control dengue.
“We have deployed sanitation workers to do fogging in all wards, especially in areas where the chances of dengue outbreak are more. We also conducted awareness campaigns among the people. But, we cannot succeed completely without the cooperation of the public, who has to ensure that there is no water collected on their premises or in their locality,” he said.
The criticism from the Health Secretary has put the LDF-ruled city Corporation in a spot, as they cannot hit back at the LDF government.
Needs united work
In a press release, Mayor V.K. Prashanth said that instead of blame-game, the Health Department and Corporation should work together to fight dengue. He said that out of the 3,000 cases in the district, 1,900 were reported in the city.
“Many from outside the Corporation area are coming to the city for treatment as better facilities are available here. This has resulted in a higher figure being reported from within the city. Even normal viral fever is sometimes reported as dengue. The mosquitoes causing dengue thrive in clean water, which is now stored in large amounts in households due to the drinking water shortage,” said the Mayor in the release.
