Director of Health Services R Prasanna on Tuesday called upon the officers to launch a campaign to detect, treat and eradicate Filariasis disease in 16 district of Chhattisgarh.
The officers will go door-to-door and detect the Filaria patients in remote parts of 16 districts of the State, officials stated.
The villages located will have blood samples taken and a detailed scientific report prepared. The Filaria-affected person will be treated free of cost.
The Department officers said that 12,886 patients had been detected in the year 2014-15 in the entire State. About 7,679 are Hydroecel patients.
About 6,735 patients had already been operated upon under the National and Chief Minister's Health Insurance Scheme.
The officers said that the 16 districts affected are : Raipur, Kawardha, Gariaband, Bilaspur, Mungeli, Raigarh, Surguja, Balrampur-Ramanujganj, Surajpur, Balodabazar- Batapara, Mahasamund, Durg, Bemetara, Balod, Janjgir-Champa and Jashpur districts.
Filaria is spread by Culex mosquito. The symptoms are visible after 7-8 years. The legs, hands and other body parts get swollen in the process. The parts affected have a lot of pain, become reddish and the patient gets high fever.
The mosquitoes breed in dirty and polluted water. Mosquito nets should be used to protect one-self. The affected legs should be washed with soap and water on a daily basis.