Local bodies not cooperating: DHO

Kolar CMC accused of not taking adequate measures to check epidemic

“District administration has been extending absolute support in containing the epidemics as soon as the outbreak was brought to its notice. However, local bodies in the district including Kolar City Municipal Council and Town Muncipal Councils are not responding as expected. A few officers are not following the directions of the deputy commissioner,” alleged District Health and Family Welfare officer Dr N Ramesh Babu, here on Friday. He was addressing a press meet at his office.

Disclosing that chikungunya has become widespread in the district, Dr Ramesh said that locals were not attending the consultative meetings held at village levels. The gram panchayats too have failed to take up necessary steps to prevent the spread.  The Department has been requesting the Municipality to maintain sanitation in the City and the Deputy Commissioner himself has directed concrete measures. However, the CMC has so far displayed laxity in this regard, he alleged.

Programmes are being conducted by the Department to create public awareness in checking the spread of the disease. The workshops conducted at district and village levels have succeeded in generating awareness. Teams of health volunteers have been constituted at the villages. They conduct door-to-door survey to educate people.
Public need not panic after the detection of mass incidences of fever. Chikungunya or dengue is confirmed only after a blood test.

There is no shortage of medicines to treat chikungunya. Stocks of medicines will also  arrive from Mangalore and Hassan. Two spells of rains will destroy the larvae of the mosquito, the vector for the disease, he said.

Erratic power supply

Erratic supply of power has also become a cause for the spread of chikungunya. Load shedding affects water supply and people, in order to over come water supply,  store water in every possible way.

The containers, however become breeding ground for disease-causing mosquitoes. Power disruption, thus has been, in a way responsible for the spread of chikungunya. The department sprays a chemical to water stored in containers to kill the larvae of mosquitoes. A breed of fish which prey upon larave are being let out into tanks.he pointed out.

As many as 92 cases of chikungunya have been reported in the district from January while seven cases of dengue are confirmed. Blood samples of 1,008 people have been tested of which 92 are positive for chikungunya. While 26 are infected in Kolar taluk, 18 are in Malur, 31 in Bangarpet, 11 in Mulbagal and four in Srinivaspur, according the tests conducted by the Health Department. However, there might be cases admitted at private nursing homes as well, he said.

District Malaria  Eradication Officer Dr Narayanaswamy, district control officer lamented that panchayat members, anganwadi workers, who must attend  consultative meeting, are turning out in poor numbers.