District Collector A. Mallikarjuna has directed the officials to lay special focus on seasonal diseases and take steps to control the spread of malaria, dengue and other diseases.
He said that 27 mandals in the district were reporting cases of malaria and instructed the officials to take up anti-malaria operations, fogging and special sanitation drive immediately.
The Collector was addressing the medical officers and officials from the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC), Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA), Health Department and a few others during the medical officers meet which was held at the VMRDA Children’s Arena here on Friday.
Mr. Mallikarjuna said that the Health Department officials should check sachivalayams and if they come across any fever cases, they should conduct door-to-door survey with the help of sachivalayam staff followed by conducting tests to all the sick people.
Awareness campaigns
He also asked the officials to intensify awareness campaigns on seasonal diseases and the steps to be taken using various mediums. The Collector also asked the ITDA officials to create awareness on proper usage of mosquito nets in the mandals in the Agency areas. He asked Andhra Medical College (AMC) Principal P.V. Sudhakar to organise a webinar for the medical officers every month over seasonal diseases.
Later, Mr. Mallikarjuna also asked the ITDA officials to speed up works to perform surgeries in Paderu and Araku hospitals at the earliest. He also instructed the District Medical and health Officer P. Suryanarayana to send the list of vacant medical posts in the district to the State government.
Meanwhile, the Collector also asked the officials to make arrangements for the two-day vaccination drive which is going to be organised for the age group of 18 to 44 years on August 28 and 31. He also spoke about preparedness on the possible COVID-19 third wave.
ITDA Project Officer R. Gopala Krishna said that till date, about 2. 10 lakh vaccination doses were administered in the Agency areas of the district. He said that keeping in view the possible third wave, they have taken steps by increasing the beds in the hospitals and arranging oxygen concentrators.
GVMC Commissioner G. Srijana stressed the need to organise blood donation camps in the view of need of blood platelets. She said that the corporation has identified malaria hotspots and is taking steps.
Joint Collector P. Arun Babu and others attended.
