Source : The Hindu Date : 22.06.2009
MCC asks people to take steps against spread of diseases
Special Correspondent
| Keep the houses and the surrounding areas clean, citizens told |
Public awareness about various diseases is said to be low
Corporation officials to visit houses and suggest people on ways to prevent diseases from spreading
MANGALORE: The Mangalore City Corporation (MCC) has appealed to the people to take precautionary measures in their areas against diseases such as Malaria, dengue, chickungunya and filaria.
A press release from Tilak Raj, president of the standing committee for health, education and social justice of the corporation, said accumulation of water in open containers or pits could lead to spread of these diseases. A reality check on Sunday revealed that public awareness about this phenomenon was low in the city.
The warning assumes significance in the wake of malaria deaths being reported in Mangalore and surrounding areas every year.
Dakshina Kannada was one of the major centres to have recorded outbreak of chikungunya in the last two years. Many people in the region have suffered from filarial attack.
The corporation’s Health Department has, in a press release, requested the people to ensure that there is no accumulation of water in waste tyres thrown in and around their houses, unused tins, buckets, or plastic containers, coconut shells, and ice-cream cups, among others.
On Sunday, this reporter could see empty coconut shells filled with rainwater in a vacant site at Urwa, and near a tender coconut vendor’s shop at Marnamikatte in Jeppu, suggesting that awareness about the issue is still low in the city. At Urwa Market, a kilometre away from the office of the corporation, a tyre placed vertically near a vulcanising unit was filled with rainwater. The city received heavy rains on Saturday night.
The press statement said that the staff of the Health Department of the corporation would be visiting every house in the city and creating awareness on how to take precautionary and curative measures against the spreading of these diseases. The department has requested the citizens to cooperate with the staff members visiting their houses
