Health Minister Kamineni Srinivas has warned of a further spurt in dengue cases in the next couple of months when the monsoon reaches its peak.
He has ordered that the guidelines on reportage of the disease, which has been declared a notifiable disease, be strictly followed by the private hospitals to enable the government to tackle it in a better way.
Addressing a review meeting with top officials of the Department of Health, Medical and Family Welfare here on Wednesday, Mr. Srinivas said, while the scourge of dengue continued to loom large, there was a marked decline in the incidence of malaria over the last few weeks.
Availability of medicines
He instructed Special Commissioner Sujatha Sharma to ensure that doctors did not go on leave in the coming weeks as their shortage in the hospitals from the village level would cripple the government’s efforts to control the seasonal epidemics.
The Minister wanted that hotspots be identified in the districts and help rushed there. He also directed that steps be taken to maintain adequate stocks of drugs. He asked the DMHOs and nodal officers to visit the vulnerable areas to combat the diseases effectively.
When the officials stressed on the need to give pension to people in the Uddanam region of Srikakulam district suffering from Chronic Kidney Disease of Unknown Etiology (CKDu) to help them gain access to treatment in private hospitals also, Mr. Srinivas said the government would think about it and come up with a solution soon.
Special Chief Secretary Anil Chandra Punetha said dengue and viral fevers could not be easily controlled unless drinking water contamination was checked. He pointed out that the water crisis in some parts of Rayalaseema and in Ongole area forced people to depend on sources that were not fit for consumption, and sought urgent remedial action.
Ms. Sharma told the Minister that the number of dengue cases increased to 2,125 from 1,547 last year, and the government machinery should be alert during the coming six to seven weeks. She said five swine flu cases had been reported and the patients were being attended to.
Another official said the scientific sanitation campaign under way in 45 major hospitals was being extended to 115 smaller hospitals. A tele-ophthalmology project was set for launch in the public-private partnership mode, he added.
Dr. NTR Vaidya Seva Trust CEO Ravi Sankar Ayyanar and Director of Medical Education N. Subba Rao were present.
