BMC to deploy volunteers to counter dengue menace
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Bhubaneswar: BMC on Friday decided to engage 100 volunteers for three months for dengue surveillance. These volunteers will focus on generating awareness and carrying out mosquito breeding source reduction exercises as part of a plan to tackle dengue menace ahead of the monsoon.
BMC officials said each volunteer will be paid Rs 400 daily. The deployment will be in 20 teams, with each team conducting door-to-door surveillance, covering 40 houses daily. The urban malaria surveillance unit (UMSU) will oversee this initiative and compile regular reports, according to a BMC officer.
BMC sources said mayor Sulochana Das is slated to convene a meeting with all corporators to ensure wider publicity of prevention activities.
Medical officers, district education officers, and child development project officers will undergo specialised training to better coordinate prevention efforts.
"Our primary focus is on educating the community about dengue fever, its symptoms, transmission, and preventive measures," BMC officials said. "We're implementing a grassroots approach that will reach every household in the capital city," they added.
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BMC is also launching a comprehensive media campaign utilising various platforms, including radio jingles, FM talks, and social media outreach. Also, waste collection vehicles will be used to spread awareness messages across the city, officials said.
A novel 'Zero Dengue Day' will be observed in each ward, featuring rallies led by local corporators with the participation of health workers, ASHA workers, Swachha Sathi, and Residential Welfare Associations.
The corporation has also decided to coordinate with IDCO/MSME and other departments and market associations to ensure
dengue prevention measures
are implemented in their respective premises. "Special attention will be paid to hotspot areas through intensive fogging and anti-larval activities under the supervision of BMC health officer," BMC officials said.
BMC said various govt and private offices and schools will also be directed to inspect mosquito breeding sources and destroy them. There are open stockyards in both offices and schools, which have abandoned articles that become mosquito breeding sources. In the second phase, residents will be educated on how to check household articles and spaces around them to ensure there is no stagnant water.
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