State govt issues directive to intensify dengue, chikungunya prevention efforts
With the monsoon approaching, the state health department has directed the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) among others to intensify its efforts to prevent the spread of dengue and chikungunya, two major mosquito-borne diseases that witness a surge during and after the rainy season, officials said on Thursday.
Deputy director of health services Dr Radhakishan Pawar on May 19 issued a letter to the PMC, Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) and district health officer, instructing all three to implement comprehensive measures for prevention and control of these diseases.
Dr Pawar urged officials to ensure strict implementation of measures and submit detailed action reports. As per the order based on insights from the National Centre for Vector Borne Disease Control (NCVBDC), dengue and chikungunya are now seen as year-round threats and not just seasonal outbreaks. The spread and intensity of these diseases is strongly linked to changing weather patterns.
'Health officials must continuously track disease trends and take timely preventive actions as needed. All dengue and chikungunya cases must be reported on the IHIP-VBD portal. Besides, all sentinel hospitals are expected to maintain availability of government-recommended diagnostic kits, including ELISA and NS1 IgM test kits,' Dr Pawar said.
The civic bodies have been directed to clearly state that updated national guidelines for clinical management of dengue and chikungunya are available on https://nvbdcp.mohfw.gov.in. Officials have instructed civic bodies to get health workers trained by the NCVBDC to lead local training and assist in managing cases to prevent deaths; and to get hospitals ready with dedicated dengue wards, blood components, life-saving equipment and trained staff. The officials have asked for an emergency response plan to be in place to handle potential outbreaks efficiently.
'Insecticides approved by the NCVBDC should be stocked at the district level for immediate mosquito control in high-risk areas. Local authorities must keep Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) ready and ensure transport facilities for quick field action during outbreaks. Joint operations with other departments and local bodies should be organised for vector control campaigns. Additionally, Intensive IEC (Information, Education, and Communication) campaigns should be launched to educate people on prevention, personal protection, and early symptoms,' the directives read.
Dr Rajesh Dighe, assistant health chief of the PMC and head of the vector-borne diseases' control programme, said that training of the healthcare staff was conducted on Tuesday. 'We will issue a letter to all departments with the roles and responsibilities to manage vector-borne diseases. Orders have been issued to maintain an adequate stock of medicines and insecticides. Tenders have been floated for the additional procurement of medicines. Besides, a meeting will be held soon to discuss management of vector-borne diseases and IEC activities,' Dr Dighe said.
It is to be noted that the PMC area last year was the worst-affected due to vector-borne disease cases. Pune city reported 382 cases of dengue, 485 cases of chikungunya, 109 cases of Zika virus, and five cases of malaria. Besides, rare manifestations amongst chikungunya-infected patients like encephalitis, meningoencephalitis, myocarditis, gastroenteritis, kidney injury, sepsis and Guillain-Barré Syndrome among others were reported.
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