Resource shortage hinders BBMP's battle against dengue

With only 1,050 Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) tasked with dengue prevention activities across 28.7 lakh households, BBMP is currently responsible for more dengue cases than all other districts combined. Health department data reveals that BBMP contributed to 56% of the state’s 7,843 cases this year until September 6.

Each Primary Health Centre (PHC) should have a team led by the ASHA from the PHC visiting every household every 15 days to inspect and remove potential dengue-breeding water sources.

A BBMP official stated, “A team can monitor a maximum of 25 to 50 houses a day. So every 15 days, they can cover a maximum of 500 to 1,000 houses only.” However, BBMP data shows that households under each PHC they must cover during this period range from 5,000 to one lakh, prompting surveillance teams to focus mainly on slums.

For instance, BBMP data for June 1 to 15 indicates that only 2.3 lakh out of the city’s 28.7 lakh households (8%) were surveyed during that time. The lowest household surveillance was in Dasarahalli zone at 2.04%. Out of the 2.3 lakh monitored households, 2,701 were found to have Aedes mosquito breeding.

Currently, BBMP has 1,229 sanctioned ASHA posts, with 179 vacancies.  In a meeting held at BBMP head office on Thursday, Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao asked the state health department to consider BBMP’s proposal to increase ASHAs’ numbers and to decide on requesting the Centre for additional posts.

Other field staff, such as Multipurpose Health Workers (MHW) and Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANM), are reluctant to join BBMP due to low salaries under NHM. NHM ANMs are paid only around Rs 10,000. Rao asked NHM-Karnataka to explore the possibility of providing minimum wages to these staff.

He also reviewed the hub-and-spoke model, funded by the NHM, which was stopped six months ago. Under the model, PHCs take samples from visitors and get them tested in other labs.

Furthermore, BBMP officials point out that not being allowed access to apartments and elite areas is hampering surveillance efforts.