BANGALORE: The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is conducting a door-to-door awareness campaign in many of localities in the city following the increase in the number of H1N1 cases.
The city corporation has geared up to tackle the disease, the officials said and added that the State government has provided sufficient vaccines. The H1N1 patients can avail it for free of cost. The civic body is creating awareness among the public by distributing pamplets and placing advertisements in media, they noted.
According to Dr Manoranjan Hegde, BBMP’s Nodal officer (Communicable Diseases), since January 2012, at least 54 H1N1 positive cases have been reported in BBMP hospitals. The number of cases has increased after March,”We have received atleast 38 cases in the last five to eight days,” he said.
Following this, the BBMP has started a door-to-door campaign. Explaining further, Dr Hegde said that when they register a case, the link workers of BBMP will visit the locality of the patient where he or she resides. As H1N1 is an airborne disease, there are chances of spreading. “Our link workers while visiting houses will insist people who have cough and fever to stay back at homes. We are advising people with such symptoms for home quarantine (staying at home) as part of precautionary measures,” he said.
So far, BBMP link workers have conducted door-to-door campaigns at Rajajinagar, Srirampura, Chamarajapet and surrounding areas, he noted.
Further, Dr Hegde said that they will also advise people with such symptoms if their cough and fever do not come down in the next two days, to visit a nearby government or private hospitals and go for a H1N1 screening.