TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: As the southwest monsoon is at Goa’s doorsteps, the health department has sounded a red alert to take preventive measures against airborne and waterborne diseases. It also instructed its field staff to prepare to prevent the outbreak of seasonal diseases.
The Directorate of Health Services, in a press statement has stated that it has already initiated efforts by gearing up its machinery to meet any eventuality, and sought public participation to keep these diseases at bay.
The department has asked people to take precautions to protect themselves from waterborne and vector borne diseases such as like Viral Hepatitis (jaundice), Typhoid, Cholera, Diarrhea, Dysentery as well as Malaria, Japanese Encephalitis, Dengue and Chikungunya, all of which are common during the monsoon.
A health department official said that vector-borne diseases are caused due stagnant water, which allows mosquito breeding and not due to garbage accumulation. But if there are receptacles in the garbage, it may lead to water accumulation during monsoon and breeding of mosquitoes.
The department has asked people to cover overhead tanks, not allow stagnation of water anywhere, washing hands before eating, keeping the house and surroundings clean, wearing full sleeved clothes, drinking boiled water and milk and also avoiding junk food to prevent diseases.
People have also been asked to use mosquito bed-nets while sleeping, cleaning vegetation in wells and also disinfecting them with bleaching powder regularly.
The department has also requested to observe ‘Dry Day’ once a week by emptying water containers, drums, plant pots, bird bath, flower vases and to dispose off unwanted utensils, tyres, disposable cups, glasses, coconut shells and garbage at dumping sites.
According to data, during 2012, a total of 826 cases of malaria were detected while 31 cases of dengue and seven cases of chikungunya were also detected.
