Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced a comprehensive plan to combat communicable diseases which includes appointment of a nodal officer for every hospital, daily evening inspections, mandatory reporting of communicable diseases by private hospitals and enhanced sanitation and fogging efforts.
In a high-level inter-departmental meeting held at his official residence on Saturday, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath highlighted the importance of public participation alongside government efforts in the upcoming campaign against communicable diseases, scheduled to commence in October. He cited successful models of encephalitis control and COVID-19 management as valuable resources in this campaign.
The period until November 15 is deemed sensitive for communicable diseases.
The chief minister noted that several districts, including Gautam Buddha Nagar, Ghaziabad, Lucknow, Kanpur Nagar, Meerut, Moradabad, Bulandshahr, Sambhal, Bareilly, Sitapur, Shahjahanpur, Hardoi, Budaun, Pilibhit, Prayagraj, Barabanki, Kushinagar, Sant Kabir Nagar, Saharanpur and Basti have been affected by diseases such as dengue, malaria and chikungunya. He emphasised the need for special precautions in these areas.
The chief minister highlighted the government’s efforts to combat encephalitis, chikungunya and malaria, saying that no deaths had been reported due to these diseases from January 1 to September 7 this year.
He mentioned that the state had successfully controlled diseases that had been causing devastation for decades and was now focused on their eradication.
To prevent hotspot situations, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directed municipal commissioners and executive officers to personally inspect affected areas and ensure the availability of medicines in hospitals.
The chief minister stressed the importance of regular reporting of new patients in both government and private hospitals. He mandated the nomination of a nodal officer by the district magistrate for every primary health centre (PHC), community health centre (CHC), district hospital and medical college in the state. These officers will be responsible for daily inspections and ensuring the smooth functioning of the healthcare system.
Inter-departmental coordination was identified as a cornerstone for the success of the communicable disease campaign. The Education department will sensitise students and parents through nodal teachers in all schools about disease prevention measures. The Animal Husbandry department will ensure the cleanliness of animal enclosures to prevent mosquito breeding.
Adequate availability of ambulances, rapid outbreak response training for community health services, strengthened disease surveillance data systems and regular cleaning of drains and slums were among the directives issued by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
He also emphasised the importance of solid waste management and the provision of pure drinking water, including demonstrations on chlorination and distribution of chlorine tablets.
“The chief minister’s proactive approach and comprehensive plan aim to bolster Uttar Pradesh’s efforts in controlling and ultimately eradicating communicable diseases, ensuring the well-being of its citizens,” Principal Secretary (Health) Partha Sarathi Sen Sharma said.