JOIN USMinister for Health and Family Welfare Arvind Limbavali directed the district health department to conduct survey in each household to check for mosquito breeding places that spread communicable diseases.
Speaking at the review meet, the minister said that survey will help to detect the communicable diseases like dengue, rat fever and also H1N1. He said that the district medical department officials along with paramedical staff should take up compulsory survey of each house and the test should be conducted immediately on susceptible cases. He also directed Deputy Commissioner to cancel the license to the builders who fail to provide hygienic settlements to the construction workers in their respective sites. He also directed Manipal University and Nitte Education Trust to take measures to screen the students and faculties from foreign countries.
DHO Dr Ramachandra Bairy said that in Udupi district, there are no endemic or rat fever cases reported till date during the current year. As many as 16 rat fever cases were detected two years ago, in and around Khumbhasi of Kundapur taluk, out of which four succumbed to death. He said enough measures have been taken to create awareness among people and also to avoid the spreading of the fever. Mass blood smear tests are taken up at construction sites. Eight teams are formed to conduct mass blood smear tests in CMC area, he added.
He also added that one mobile medical unit is opened in Perdur. Besides one each mobile health clinics in Maoist affected areas of Amasebailu and Hebri is set up. The infant mortality ratio in the district is 8:1000 and maternal mortality ratio is 37:100000. As many as six cases of maternal mortality were reported last year, he said.
District Surveillance Officer Dr Rohini said that about 38 cases of H1N1 were found during the year 2012 in the district, of which two succumbed to death. In 2009, about 34 cases were found in the district, of which 28 were from Udupi district. In 2010, about 41 patients were infected in the district and in 2011, only six were infected from H1N1, she said.
Of the 36 cases infected with H1N1 during 2012, 22 were hospitalised for accute infection cases. As many as 36 cases of dengue were detected in the district, of which four are from Udupi district. About 20 are from Bangalore and three from Mangalore, she said.
Action against eye hospital
The health minister directed DC Dr M T Reju to take stern action against the authorities of Charamakki Narayana Shetty Lions Eye hospital. As many as eight people who had undergone eye surgeries suffered severe infections and one among them died of cardiac arrest owing to the stress caused due to evisceration surgery. He said that the hospital authorities should be fined if they fail to compensate the victims.
He also ordered thorough inspection of operation theaters and laboratories in private hospitals and other establishments in the district. District Government Hospital Mobile Ophthalmic Unit Eye Surgeon Nityananda Nayak said that the operation theatre in Charamakki Narayana Shetty Lions Eye hospital is closed down as the sources of infection had its roots in the OT. There are possibilities of faults in sterilisation techniques, he added.
Shortage of blood in state
Later, speaking at the blood donation camp organised by G Shankar Family Trust in association with District Administration and Manipal University, Limbavali said there is need for 6.25 lakh units of blood in the State and about four lakh units are collected from various sources. There is shortage of 2.25 lakh units of blood. He added that there 173 blood banks in the state, of which about 110 are private blood bank centers.
The blood donors in the State have not reached at least one per cent of the entire population of the State. He urged people especially youths to donate blood to save lives.