Delayed response by LMC officials fails to allay dengue panic

bLUCKNOW: The panic among people about dengue is not without reason. While the health department and the Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) have not carried out anti-mosquito measures like fogging as per the requirement, the roads dug up all over the city for laying of sewerlines have only aggravated the problem.

Earlier, a regular survey used to be conducted in different parts of the city for implementing the preventive measures. But for last ten years, the exercise has been stopped.

The LMC corporators has also condemned the officials for their lackadaisical attitude in dealing with the situation.

The sources said that now, the health department reacts when a case of dengue or any other mosquito-induced viral disease is reported.

A team visits the area, collects blood samples of the people for testing and arrange for anti-larva spraying. Similarly, the LMC used to start fogging in the city with the arrival of the monsoon but now, its officials swung into action only when there is hue and cry, admitted a senior official.

Sample this: While the first case of dengue in the city was reported in August, the LMC started fogging on September 20. Heavy rainfall and dug-up roads have created water pools at many places which are breeding grounds for the mosquitoes. While mosquito menace is a perpetual problem in the Old City areas, the residents of posh localities have also complained that dug-up roads have made things worse. "Contractors laying the sewerlines dig the road but do not cover up properly after the exercise. The water collected in the potholes becomes breeding haven for mosquitoes," said Ajay Kumar, a resident of Mahanagar.

When contacted, nagar swasthaya Adhikari, LMC, S C Dubey said the fogging exercise began on September 20 only. He said that a ward-wise fogging roster plan has been prepared.

"Seven machines on trucks have been deployed for fogging in big localities and ten cycle-mounted machines are fogging in areas connected through narrow lanes," he said. Dubey also said that fogging is also being done on the basis of public demand. Other LMC officials said that people can approach the civic body through their respective corporators for fogging. "We also entertain requests made directly," they said.

However, the health officials held private doctors responsible for the dengue panic. They admitted that the strains of different viruses carried by mosquitoes have undergone mutation with time but there is no research facility in the state to identify and design new preventive and treatment protocols.

Some officials also complained about shortage of hands. However, people complained that the responsibility of controlling mosquito population and the diseases induced by parasites is of the malaria prevention and health departments in the district but their activities are mostly concentrated around VIP localities.

When contacted, director general, health, Dr S P Ram, said that the government of India only recognises polymerase chain reaction test using an elisa reader. "Most private nursing homes, pathologies and private practitioners do not have the elisa facility but they declare a person with low platelet count and suffering from fever as a dengue patient, whereas there are several kinds of viral fevers which happen during the monsoon season. Some of these fevers, other than dengue, have also been found to be lowering the platelet count. Platelet count also reduces due to intake of strong anti-biotic drugs," he said.