Following the onset of monsoon and sudden rise in the number of patients suffering from fever, Collector M. Karunakaran inspected a few vulnerable areas in the district on Wednesday to further intensify the ongoing operations being carried out by the local bodies and the Department of Public Health.
As the number of patients coming to Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital with viral fever or suspected symptoms of dengue is steadily rising after the recent rains, the district administration has intensified the ongoing coordinated operation by the local bodies and the Department of Public Health to contain the possible outbreak of communicable or vector-borne diseases.
Inspecting the anti-dengue operations at Keezhakalangal near Alangulam in the district, Dr. Karunakaran said the district administration was taking all-out efforts to avert the possible outbreak of any contagious disease during the northeast monsoon. Heads of all local bodies right from the Corporation to the village panchayats had been advised to carry out cleaning operations in the areas under their jurisdiction every day by deploying adequate number of sanitary workers.
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The doctors and nurses attached to the Department of Public Health had been instructed to coordinate with the local bodies in making this exercise more effective and meaningful.
“While the sanitary workers will clean the garbage and drain stagnating water, the health department officials will visit the families to see if anyone is suffering from fever or any other communicable disease. Moreover, fogging will be carried out in all the places at regular intervals,” Dr. Karunakaran said.
As a few residents of Keezhakalangal were found to be suffering from viral fever, the Collector deployed seven teams in the village.
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“Each team has a sanitary inspector and five sanitary workers, who will visit each house in the village. Moreover, thirteen teams of self-help group members have been involved in creating awareness among the public of the need to contain the fever,” the Collector said. He also asked the doctors of Department of Public Health to organise special medical camp. “If anyone is found to be suffering from fever, just refer those cases to the nearby primary health centre,” he ordered.
The Collector also ordered the Department of Public Health and the heads of local bodies to ensure the regular distribution of ‘nilavembu kudineer’ to the residents till the end of the monsoon.
Earlier, Dr. Karunakaran also visited Naaranammalpuram near here along with a team of officials to review the anti-dengue operations in the village.