KRISHNAGIRI: The Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine conducted an inter-state coordination meeting with Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh at the Institute of Vector Control and Zoonoses (IVCZ), Hosur, on Tuesday, to focus on communicable disease surveillance and control.
The Director of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Dr A Somasundaram, said, "To improve the existing surveillance system, especially at inter-state borders, the meeting was conducted with health department officials from three states. Since 2004, under the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), cases of communicable diseases have been reported to the state governments weekly. However, for the past few years, we have been getting real-time data, but its delays need to be addressed."
"People often migrate for work and travel daily. Similarly, transmission of infection is also higher when people migrate from vulnerable areas to other places, especially across inter-state borders. Therefore, there is a need for increased surveillance in more hospitals in the respective states, particularly in border districts, especially for vector-borne diseases," he added.
He pointed out that surveillance health inspectors in Tamil Nadu already visit private hospitals and government hospitals often, and this can be taken up by other states. Similarly, their best practices can also be implemented, he added.
Somasundaram said that representatives from seven inter-state border districts, and a representative from Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh took part along with senior regional directors of the department. Joint Director (communicable disease) Dr Senthil, Krishnagiri District Health Officer (DHO) Dr M Ajitha, Tiruvallur DHO Dr Priya Raj also attended.
