Health Minister V S Sivakumar has said that the mosquito eradication programme should be a continuous process.
He was speaking after visiting the Sree Chitra Home as part of the Dengue Prevention Programme organised by the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation and Health Department. Sivakumar pointed out that the Dengue Prevention Programmes organised in the city have helped in bringing down the number of cases being reported. This month, only 45 cases of dengue fever were reported.
The mosquito eradication programmes which remove or destroy the breeding centres of mosquitoes have helped in reducing the spread of the disease. Though the eradication programme came to an end with the third phase, the Minister suggested that it be continued, to ensure that no cases were reported from Thiruvananthapuram.
In the third phase, mosquito eradication and awareness programmes were organised. Around 3,000 workers from ASHA, Kudumbashree, anganavadis and voluntary organisations under the leadership of councillors visited the houses in the city as part of the awareness programme.
The Minister, who visited the Sree Chitra Home, recommended that the unused wells be filled up and stagnation of water be avoided.
The National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) will provide funds for the works at Sree Chitra Home. The Minister directed officials to complete the works in 10 days.
The service of a junior health nurse will be made available at the Home, he said. Mayor K Chandrika and other councillors were also present. Councillor Rajendran administered the mosquito eradication pledge to the inmates.
R Harikumar, P Padmakumar and S Udayalakshmi too attended the function.