Amid specter of Dengue outbreak looming large over the State capital, the school children donning summer uniforms are sitting preys for lurking Tiger Mosquitoes. Aedes Aezypti (Tiger mosquito) which is the vector of the dreaded disease strikes during day time when children wearing half sleeved shirts and shorts are attending the schools. Dengue has almost assumed epidemic proportions in national Capital and adjoining areas and recent spurt in the number of positive cases in Dehradun district indicates that this year the number of cases could be highest in recent years.
On Friday, the district medical health and family welfare department reported 13 more cases of dengue in the district with this the number of positive cases in the district has mounted to 167. Thankfully only three cases of children being affected by the virus are reported in the district. The district vector borne diseases officer, JP Bahuguna said that nine patients are getting treatment at Doon hospital. He accepted that the children and elderly are in high risk group.
When contacted the Chief Education Officer (CEO) of Dehradun, S P Khali claimed that the department is on active mode on the disease from last many days. “We have asked the school heads to ensure that the kids wear full sleeved shirts to prevent the mosquito bite. Biology teachers or Principals are advised to give lectures on preventive measures of Dengue during morning assemblies,” he said.
The claim of CEO however fell flat when this correspondent inquired some of the school heads on the advisory floated by the education department as all of them denied having received any such communication. The Principal of Doon Global Academy, Anuj Sharan Singh told The Pioneer that no order was received by the school till date. He however added that the school regularly takes measures to control the mosquito menace in the campus.
The Vice Principal of Doon International School Dinesh Barthwal also denied having received any order from the education department on dengue. The President of Principal of Progressive Schools Association, Prem Kashyap said that the CEO of Dehradun has contacted him on Friday regarding dissemination on information on Dengue. He said that the association has sent a circular to all the schools to ensure that students wear full sleeved shirts and trousers. Interestingly many Government school
heads also sought ignorance of any departmental directive on Dengue.
The medical experts are of the opinion that the schools should compulsorily undertake fumigation in their campus to smoke out mosquitoes from their campus. They said that the schools should be compulsorily asked to enforce a dress code which prohibits wearing short sleeved shirts and shorts during this period of the year when dengue menace is at its highest.