Hyderabad: The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation’s (GHMC) chief medical and health officer Dr Padmaja has assured that fogging for mosquito control was being done in 150 wards at the rate of one ward per day, and that the process will be completed within a week.
On Friday, July 4, GHMC commissioner RV Karnan held a workshop with the zonal officials of GHMC, doctors and scientists on the precautions that needed to be taken to prevent the spread of infectious and vector-borne diseases during the monsoons in Hyderabad.
Speaking on the occasion, Karnan said that preventive measures were important to prevent the spread of diseases during the rainy season.
He said that the people needed to follow personal hygiene, environmental hygiene, and safe drinking water to prevent the spread of vector-borne diseases such as dengue and malaria, as well as seasonal diseases such as cold, cough, fever, and typhoid.
The commissioner explained that fogging and Anti-Larval Operation (ALO) programmes were being undertaken within the GHMC’s limits, to prevent the spread of dengue and malaria.
He emphasized the cooperation of the people, local public representatives and inter-departmental organizations, as necessary to control the vector-borne diseases.
He said that auxiliary medical officers should act as the nodal officers in the rural areas, in addition to Auxiliary Nurse and Midwives (ANMs), Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA workers), Anganwadi teachers, and members of women’s Self-Help Groups (SHG), in addition to the educators, should conduct Information, Education and Communication (IEC) programs on the issue.
He said steps will be taken to organise them in a similar manner in the GHMC areas as well.
Professor J Venkateswara Rao, department of entomology in the Osmania University, opined that using technology, mosquito breeding and disease-prone areas could be identified, so that the spread of the diseases could be prevented.
The Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT) scientist K Lakshmi Narayana Raju explained the methods for preventing mosquitoes, lake restoration, and prevention of hatching of water in the stagnated or stored water.
He said that instead of removing horse hoofs and throwing them out, they could be converted into bio-manure.
Hyderabad District Medical Health Officer DM&HO) Dr Venkanna said that more dengue cases were being registered in Hyderabad in the month of September, and that there was a need to increase the anti-larval program.
He said medical teams of GHMC were jointly forming teams and conducting anti-larva programs, and that IEC programs needed to be taken up vigorously.
He claimed that every school was conducting awareness programs for the prevention of dengue disease, and that in addition to schools, cinema theaters, markets, ANMs, ASHA workers, and entomology staff were also jointly participating in the prevention program.
During a meeting held to review the progress of women’s Self-Help Groups (SHG) in the city with project officers of 30 circles under GHMC, the commissioner said that every eligible woman needed be included in the SHGs, and steps needed to be taken to re-integrate the women who have not yet joined the groups through the door-to-door campaign.
He said that loan facilities needed to be provided to eligible SHGs through bank linkage in phases, along with training and financial assistance.
“Focus on training and extending financial assistance in sectors such as catering, food processing, street vendor collectives, event management, Meeseva centers, and Indira Mahila Shakti canteens,” he directed the GHMC officials.
He also said that a community hall in each GHMC circle has been set up as a shelter-home to house the homeless, with the help of Non Government Organisations (NGOs), to prevent them from returning to the roads.
He suggested forming SHGs comprising the differently-abled, transgender persons and the elderly, and to show employment opportunities to them.
