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.