Vilappil CHC reins in dreaded dengue

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Vilappil Community Health Centre (CHC), the biggest in the district in terms of its area, has brought down the dengue cases by around 75 per cent in the last two years.   

It reached  out to 3.13 lakh people with  just 75 motivated health workers.  In 2013, the areas under CHC that included Nemom zone and suburbs like Malayankeezhu, Balarampuram, Pallichal, Vilappil, Vilavoorkal and Maranalloor had reported 450 confirmed dengue cases.

Massive awareness campaigns  and detection drives followed and by 2014, the dengue cases  dropped to around 107. This year, only 63 cases have been reported, as per  statistics.

The dengue-prone Vilavoorkal and  Vilappil areas which have several rubber plantations are  now much less infected compared to  Veli  in the city.

During the last three years, no dengue mortality was  reported under Vilappil CHC even as Thiruvananthapuram district still has the dubious distinction of being the dengue capital.
 
Eradication drive on
“If a particular area reports any dengue case, we start fogging and spraying in the area to kill adult mosquitoes. Now, we also have a larvicide called Abate which can be safely mixed with even drinking water to kill larvae. Then we keep a track of people using Asha workers to identify the symptoms and bring people to health centres, “said Dr Satheesh Kumar, CHC medical officer.

The CHC held vector studies in not less than 1246 areas (31,000 households) last year alone. Guppy fishes were released into over 188 water bodies to kill larva. Awareness campaigns  hit the nail as citizens with fever started to approach hospitals.
 
Government hospitals more effective?
Since all CHCs in the district depend on one city laboratory for testing dengue, most often  health officials start medications without waiting for lab results.

“This early treatment system helps us avoid mortality more efficiently than  private hospitals. The volume of dengue, leptospirosis and  scrub typhus cases we handle is  high. So our staff can differentiate fevers quickly,” claimed health supervisor Sushilkumar.

“Private hospitals first usually put dengue patients on saline drip worsening their situation. Meanwhile, scrub typhus patients have a weak liver and other medications can cause lethal damage. So you need to be sure what fever a person has,” he added.
 
Leptospirosis threat
With leptospirosis cases increasing from 24 in 2013 to 28 in 2014, officials have started early medication for that too.

“All workers who venture into puddles are now being given doxycycline compulsorily as precaution. City dwellers who expose themselves to contaminated water in streets during monsoon can also use this medicine,” Dr Satheesh Kumar added.