The health advisor to the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Dr Naveen Balooni has directed the health department that a month long extensive anti dengue campaign should be initiated to instill confidence among the general public. He said this while addressing a review meeting at state health directorate to check preparedness for Dengue on Tuesday.
The proposed one month long drive would start on August 1. He directed the Director General (DG) of health state health services to ensure that all offices and hospital have a dengue control cell with a designated nodal officer. These nodal officers would be responsible for anti dengue activities in the areas of their jurisdiction. Dr Balooni added that the pathologists and paramedics should be appointed in every hospital during the months when the chances of spread of dengue are highest. He highlighted the need of extensive and regular awareness campaign in the newspapers about the disease. The advisor to the CM advocated regular contact with religious organizations, social groups on the issue. He said that the dress code of full sleeved shirts and trousers should be implemented in all the schools with the help of district magistrates.
On the occasion district wise preparedness for the disease and contingency plan was discussed in detail. The advisor to CM was informed that in Dehradun the district health department has taken the help of Asha workers for source reduction activity for dengue but in other districts this practice is not being followed. On this disclosure, Dr Balooni said that Asha workers in Haridwar, Udham Singh Nagar and other districts should also be involved in anti dengue activities.
The DG Health, Dr D S Rawat said that special dengue wards have been set up in all hospitals where incidences of disease are more. He claimed that in all these districts the blood banks are operational with adequate availability of platelets. Dr Rawat said that there is fear and confusion in the public about platelet count. He clarified that the WHO norms mandate that platelets should be transfused only when their number falls below 20,000. The DG made an appeal to the private medical practitioners not to create unnecessary fear in the patients about the disease. He directed the department officials to impose penalties of such offices/ premises where favorable conditions for breeding of mosquitoes are found.
The meeting was attended by the director medical health Dr l M Upreti, Chief Medical Officers (CMO) of Dehradun, Haridwar and Udham Singh Nagar, City Health Officer, district vector borne diseases officer and officers of National Health Mission (NHM).