VIJAYAWADA: As part of its measures to check the spread of mosquito-borne diseases during monsoon, the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) is contemplating setting up fever camps at 14 dispensaries across the city.
Speaking to TNIE on Wednesday, VMC Assistant Medical and Health Officer (AMOH-I) Iqbal Hussain said that the Corporation want to extend treatment to the poor at the dispensaries nearby their localities during the Covid-19 pandemic. At present, the 14 dispensaries maintained by the civic body are screening the patients twice a day between 8 am and 12 noon and 3 pm and 5 pm. Initially, persons with cold and fever will be treated at the dispensaries as outpatients. Persons with symptoms will be treated initially by BAMS (Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery) doctors. In case they have severe symptoms, medicines will be given to them and their blood samples will be collected at the max centres, he said.
In addition to these, four maternity hospitals located at Rajiv Nagar, Kothapeta, Ramarajya Nagar and Krishna Lanka are also functioning under the VMC to treat viral fevers. Elaborating further, he said that fever camps are crucial to prevent the spread of the killer virus at an early stage. In this regard, recently directions were given to the health teams overseeing the coronavirus situation to simultaneously commence anti-malaria and dengue drives.
As part of it, the health teams along with the Asha workers, ANMs and ward volunteers launched a door-to-door survey in 24 high-risk areas. “Till date, 14 malaria and 11 dengue cases were reported in the city since January. No casualties were reported,” Iqbal Hussain said.
Dispensaries in city
One Town, Vidyadharapuram, Sitara Centre, Kothapeta, Wynchipet, Moghalrajpuram, Hanumanpet, Durgapuram and Ramalingeswara Nagar