The Hindu 28.08.2012
Councillors concerned over increasing cases of diseases
Cutting across party lines, councillors of Mangalore
City Corporation in its meeting on Monday expressed concern over what
they said “increasing cases” of malaria, dengue and other diseases in
the city.
The councillors resolved to seek the
Government to appoint Manjaiah Shetty, retired Health Officer at the
corporation, as special malaria officer at the Malaria Cell at the civic
body. Minister for Urban Development, Law, Justice and Human Rights S.
Suresh Kumar, had at a press conference here on October 21, 2008 ordered
the suspension of Mr. Shetty for failing to maintain cleanliness of the
city. Mr. Shetty’s suspension was withdrawn later.
The
Karnataka Information Commission through an order on September 5, 2011,
had imposed penalty of Rs. 10,000 against Mr. Shetty. The commission
had found him guilty of providing incomplete information about the stock
inventory of drugs to B. Prakash Bhat, an applicant.
Raising
the health issues at the council meeting on Monday, the former Mayor M.
Shankar Bhat said that the corporation now did not have a permanent
health officer after the retirement of Mr. Shetty. He said that many
malaria, dengue and leptospirosis cases had been reported in the city.
Beds in many hospitals were full.
Deepak Poojary
alleged that the corporation had stopped fogging and spraying (against
mosquito vectors) for controlling malaria. The former Mayor M.
Shashidhar Hegde said that insecticides should be sprayed on stagnated
water.
Replying to it, in-charge Health Officer C.M.
Sudarshan said that spraying wouldn’t help as it was raining now.
Commissioner Harish Kumar K. said that 62 multipurpose health workers
had been visiting homes to create awareness on precautionary steps to be
taken to control malaria. In addition, a non-governmental organisation,
Nisarga, was creating awareness in schools. The corporation in
cooperation with volunteers of National Service Scheme (NSS) would
launch an awareness campaign on all 60 wards on a single day shortly.
He said the corporation had placed orders for 60 more containers for storing and transporting solid waste.The Commissioner said the civic body had cancelled licences of three builders for failing to take malaria control measures.
Many
hotels had been inspected and fined. Hotel owners’ association has now
its own health inspector to inspect and take corrective steps on
cleanliness.
