The Indian Express 23.08.2012
Dengue in, KMC still out of action
Dengue has claimed three lives in the city in the past two months,
but the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) is yet to undertake vector
control drive and fogging to prevent the disease from spreading. KMC
clinics also do not have adequate infrastructure to conduct dengue
tests.
A visit to a KMC clinic at Ward number 62 in Kasba revealed that there were no dengue test kits available.
An official of the KMC ward said the kits were exhausted. In the
past seven days, around 60 patients with dengue-like symptoms had been
transferred to other KMC run-dengue clinics due to dearth of kits, the
official added.
Dr T K Mukherjee, deputy chief medical health officer of KMC,
however said he had not received any specific complaints from any of the
KMC clinics regarding dearth of kits.
According to KMC figures, around 120 dengue cases were reported
in the city from January to July. The corporation has decided to
undertake a massive awareness campaign on the disease. It has directed
local councillors to provide dengue awareness compact discs to local
cable operators for airing on TV. All private nursing homes have been
asked to provide dengue test reports immediately on confirmation.
The health department has directed hospitals and laboratories to
be alert for dengue cases. Heads of schools, colleges, police stations
and market associations have been directed to check for breeding spots
in their respective areas.
The Aedes mosquito has been detected in various wards. Health
officials have asked KMC to intensify fogging in parts of Kasba and
Chetla.While dengue test is conducted for free in KMC clinics, the test
at state-run medical colleges costs around Rs 160 and at a private
set-up around Rs 700-Rs 1600. Normally an Eliser test is required for
dengue and the test has to be conducted weekly to monitor the platelet
count.
Experts said intermittent showers and rising temperature have created conditions conducive to untimely breeding of the mosquito.
