The Indian Express 25.10.2013
Dengue: MC teams face resistance as many refuse to get houses sprayed
With over 477 dengue patients reported from Ludhiana, anti-larva
teams of the health department are trying to spray the houses of the
patients but encountering a lot of problems in the process.
When the teams visit the houses of the dengue patients and the
adjacent houses, many residents refuse to let them inside their houses
while a few ask a variety of questions.
“We are not given entry in many houses, what to talk of spraying.
The residents see us with a suspicion and make us stand outside for a
long time,” said a member of the anti-larva team.
A number of residents at Haibowal asked the team members a series
of questions before getting the spray done. A few of them told the team
members to do only superficial spray in the outer lobby, leaving the
rooms and kitchen. “Dengue larva can breed in bathrooms, kitchen (in the
containers of refrigerators) and in open areas with fresh standing
water,” said Manjeet Singh, a member of the anti-larva team.
He said still they try hard to convince the residents, and many
of them co-operate and get their houses sprayed. The reluctance is
specially in the posh colonies.
Dr Anil Verma, district epidemiologist, said, “We are making the
masses aware on a daily basis so that they can themselves take
precautions rather than waiting for the health teams. At the same time,
we appeal to them to co-operate with our health teams.”
Meanwhile, 29 more dengue patients were reported positive on
Thursday even as the health teams visited Tagore Nagar, Haibowal Kalan
and Salem Tabri.
