Rise in dengue cases; district administration on high alert

Karimnagar: The district administration along with the medical, health and municipal departments are on high alert and taking preventive steps in view of increase in number of dengue cases and seasonal fevers in erstwhile Karimnagar district.

With rains subsiding and with accumulation of garbage in the drainage lines and flood water mixed with the drainage water overflowing in various colonies and on the roads, the water has been contaminated.

The government and private hospitals in united Karimnagar district are witnessing a huge rush of patients from Peddapalli, Rajanna Sircilla and Jagtial districts, as also from Mancherial district, especially of those suffering from dengue fever.

Officially, 162 positive cases of dengue were registered in erstwhile Karimnagar district, of which 85 were in Karimnagar district while in Peddapalli there were around 45 positive cases. In Rajanna Sircilla district, there were 17 positive cases and in Jagtial district 15 cases.

Karimnagar Collector RV Karnan said the district administration is on high alert and formed a special team with the MPDOs and municipal commissioners to prevent the spread of dengue and other viral fevers.

To check the growth of mosquito population, municipal staff would use oil balls, do fogging and release gambusia fish in the water-logged and open spaces.

The people are also urged to observe every Tuesday and Friday as dry-day and maintain their surroundings clean and hygienic.

BC welfare minister Gangula Kamalakar after inspecting the government civil hospital in Karimnagar assured the patients of better treatment and asked the health officials of various PHCs to send blood samples collected from the patients to the government main hospital for diagnosing dengue.

He said there was no deficiency of medicines in the hospitals.

Additional collector Satya Prasad along with the DMO, Suman Rao of Rajanna Sircilla district inspected the dhobi ghat at Mula Wagu lake in Vemulawada and advised the washer community not to allow the water to remain stagnant.

Additional collector Aruna of Jagtial district visited villages and inspected the sanitation drive. She asked the officials to hold a fever survey and prevent the spread of the diseases in the villages.

The village secretaries must visit every ward twice a day and collect information about the health of the individuals and other issues, she said.