Surveillance teams to monitor vector-borne diseases in State

The Department of Health has formed block-level surveillance teams to monitor the spread of vector-borne diseases ahead of the onset of the northeast monsoon.

The Deputy Director for Health, N. Kalu Sivalingam, said there were 11 blocks and 53 Primary Health Centres (PHC) in the district.

A block-level team would consist of a doctor, village health nurse, health inspector, and 10 health workers.

They would visit each and every house and enquire about people having fever and patients would be referred to the nearest PHC or government hospitals for getting immediate treatment.

Moreover, health workers would be engaged in controlling mosquito breeding. All the Primary Health Centres and government hospitals had adequate stock of medicines to meet any eventuality in the wake of the outbreak of any diseases. About the possibility of water-borne diseases in view of the showers, Mr. Sivalingam said the surveillance team would be asked to identify patients having fever in both government and private hospitals and give details to him to take follow-up action.

To a question, he ruled out the possibility of dengue fever spreading through the devotees from other States who came to Velankanni to attend the annual festival recently.

Four dengue patients from Velankanni and Sembanarkovil had been admitted to the government hospital here.