The administration on Thursday decided to hold health camps to screen febrile people with suspected dengue symptoms at their doorsteps even as dengue has spread to 22 wards in the city. The camps would be held at critical places in the affected pockets so that the people can be screened for the symptoms and referred to the hospital for treatment. It has been found that a significant per cent of the febrile population are not seeking proper diagnosis and are going unreported, which may lead to fatalities.
“Despite directed interventions for dengue, we have not been able to mop up the fever cases as people are not reporting due to lack of awareness of the symptoms or are going for diagnosis at local laboratories which are not reliable. By conducting neighbourhood health camps, we aim to cover all the people and facilitate proper diagnosis and timely treatment to them,” said Collector Girish SN as the Statewide campaign on vector borne and waterborne diseases was kicked off on Thursday.
The administration has also started training of the Asha workers who would be engaged in house to house contact for detection of fever cases and inspection of the premises for potential breeding sites. More than 230 Ashas would be deployed with each covering at least 27 households a day. They would not only educate the family members and enquire on febrile persons but also identify and destroy breeding sites in the houses. Meanwhile, 26 new cases have been detected from the city. About 115 patients are admitted to the dengue ward at the SCBMCH while 12 children are being treated at the Sishu Bhawan. Four critical patients have been admitted in the ICU of SCBMCH.