VIJAYAWADA: With the onset of the monsoon season, the State government has initiated a series of contingency measures to combat and mitigate the impact of seasonal diseases.
Keeping this in mind, the Health, Medical and Family Welfare Department ordered the Fisheries Department to release one crore Gambusia Fish (Mosquitofish) in the ponds to control larvae and overcome the seasonal diseases across the State, especially in high-risk districts Paravatipuram Manyam and Alluri Seetha Ramaraju.
Under the guidance of the Chief Minister YS Jaga Mohan Reddy and Minister for Health, Medical and Family Welfare Vidadala Rajani, the State administration has collaborated with local authorities, and community organisations to devise a comprehensive plan to address the challenges presented by the monsoon season. The primary objective is to prevent the outbreak of water-borne and vector-borne diseases as well as to provide timely medical assistance to those affected.
In a recent virtual review held by Vidadala Rajani on seasonal diseases, she instructed the officials that no mortality should be registered in the State and that action would be taken against them if measures were not implemented. As a part of preparedness, the departmental officials extended testing services of malaria, and dengue to YSR Health Clinics across the State, which were limited to PHCs earlier. The staff were instructed to test every fever for malaria and dengue. While a patient infected with malaria would be treated in PHCs, dengue patients would be referred to the nearest government hospital, where the ELISA test would be conducted.
Meanwhile, specialised teams have been deployed to conduct regular cleaning and unclogging operations across the cities. By addressing this issue promptly, the government aims to minimise the risk of water stagnation and subsequent disease outbreaks.
Speaking to TNIE, Dr Rami Reddy, director of public health said that they identified high-risk areas and finished Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS), instructed DM&HO for the successful conduct of the Friday- Dry Day programme, which is meant for clearing the stagnated water in low-level areas. We are also using the Vector Hygiene app by involving ANM, Ashas and municipal staff jointly from identifying the problem.
He further said that they ordered one crore Gambusia Fish and released them into the ponds in Prakasam and Guntur districts and the process in the remaining district will be continued. “Focal spray are being performed at the areas where the positive cases were reported. In addition, all the medicine for Outpatient purposes are also kept available at YSR Health Clinics,” he added.