Two more persons test positive for the disease; so far nine have been affected
TEAM HERALD
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MARGAO: Dengue scare has hit Cutbona area of Velim village with two more local persons testing positive for the disease, taking the number of dengue affected people to nine, while a random inspection of the locality by health officials revealed breeding of larvae in barrels and storage tanks.
In fact, fear has gripped the local population with the number of cases showing no sign of abating, with two more persons admitted to a hospital for suspected dengue.
So much so, when a team of health officials from the Directorate of Health Services accompanied by Velim Sarpanch descended on Cutbona Wednesday noon, they had to face a barrage of questions from locals who demanded immediate measures to rid the locality of mosquitoes.
Ward member Veena Cardozo and her son are undergoing treatment at a Margao-based hospital for dengue.
Velim Sarpanch Melvyn Sanches has demanded that the health officials carry out fogging of the entire locality spread across a distance of 2-3 kms. He said the two fresh cases have shown that things are not under control. Sanches said that he would write to the authorities to ensure that migrants staying in the locality are vacated immediately to bring the situation under control.
Cutbona locals this evening went round the locality to ensure there’s no water storage or accumulation anywhere around. The locals also opened the damaged sluice gate, making way for stagnant water to move.
President of Cutbona Boat Owners Union Seby Cardozo, who hails from Cutbona, said the situation requires immediate attention from the health department. “This evening, locals went around the locality to ensure that water-storage facilities do not become mosquito breeding sites”, he said.
Health official Lioneta D’Silva said people have offered mosquitoes perfect breeding sites.
“People here have stored water in barrels and have left them open. Unused water was found in many utensils. This has contributed to the spread of dengue”, she said.
