THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With the Southwest monsoon round the corner, Health Minister K K Shylaja on Thursday cautioned against the spread of seasonal contagious diseases and stressed the need to take precautions against the spread of fever. If focused precautionary measures are taken in the beginning of the season, the spread of contagious diseases like dengue, leptospirosis (rat fever), H1N1, which had been afflicting the state during the monsoon, can be prevented, she said.
The minister also told the health director to ensure there are enough medicines and facilities to treat patients in the hospital in the event of contagious fever. The general public has been advised to take scientific treatment without resorting to self-medication in case of fever.
The hospital authorities and health sanitation workers were directed to strengthen the pre-monsoon sanitation drives, waste disposal measures and the eradication of mosquitoes, rats and other pests in their areas.
The parents have been instructed to not take kids along with them while visiting hospitals and the patients and their bystanders should not throw or dump garbage in open places.
The public should also cooperate with the health authorities to ensure effective waste management, cleanliness of the surroundings, source-level eradication of risk factors, cleanliness of drains, canals, houses and public places. The sanitation workers should also take precautionary measures from mosquito bites, the minister said.
The department has also devised a year-long comprehensive programme to tackle communicable diseases in coordination with various departments, Shylaja said.