Health officials get into disease-prevention mode
TEAM HERALD
MARGAO: Two fresh cases of dengue have been reported at Cutbona, even as the Directorate of Health Services on Saturday launched a massive exercise to stop further spread of the disease in the locality.
A local woman and a migrant loader working at the jetty have tested positive for dengue at GMC.
Three separate teams of health officials headed by State epidemiologist, Utkarsh Betodkar, descended on Cutbona today morning and carried out fogging operations in the area. The exercise will continue for the next one week as a precautionary measure. While Dr Betodkar led a team from the Directorate of Health Services, another team from Margao Urban Health Centre, besides Balli Primary Health Centre also joined the operation.
Meanwhile, Velim Sarpanch Melvyn Sanches told the media at Cutbona on Saturday that he has written a letter to the District Collector, South, Fisheries Department and the BDO to hold a site inspection of Cutbona area and take remedial measures in respect of the presence of migrant labourers in the locality.
He said the village panchayat will also hold an awareness camp in the village on Monday at 10.30 am to make the villagers aware of dengue and to stop the spread of the disease.
Meanwhile, the Velim Civic and Consumer Forum has expressed its deep concern over the spread of the disease in Cutbona, resulting in the loss of the precious life of Joshima Cardozo, a member of the village gram sabha.
Forum convenor Ramona Almeida said that village sarpanch Melvyn Sanches had assured at the special gram sabha on December 19 that the spread of dengue was under control as no new cases of dengue were reported, except for a victim who was in a serious condition. She said the volunteers of the consumer forum along with Cutbona Panch Veena Cardozo herself being a victim of dengue fever in the recent epidemic, visited the affected area on the December 19 and found prevalence of poor sanitary conditions. Barrels and other utensils stored with potable and non-potable water contained larvae. “The forum is of the view that with the increase of migrant labourers dwelling in the houses of local residents, the population density of that area has increased hence many more people are at risk. The village panchayat urgently needs to conduct a survey and document this information”, she said, adding that all the government agencies should work in a coordinated manner to stop the further spread of dengue in the locality.
