PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
To prevent dengue cases, the Health department has deployed 10 additional volunteers in 10 hotspot areas in Dehradun for focused dengue awareness and survey activities, Dehradun chief medical officer Dr Manoj Kumar Sharma said.
He said that Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) workers and volunteers are assigned every year to conduct dengue awareness and survey activities. Typically, 100 volunteers are deployed in Dehradun and 40 in Rishikesh. However, this year, a total of 110 volunteers have been assigned in Dehradun, which includes 100 volunteers for each municipal ward and 10 additional volunteers in the 10 selected hotspot areas where dengue cases and larvae chances are higher as per the previous year’s observation. These 10 volunteers will concentrate their efforts in these areas and carry out similar activities diligently, he said.
Sharma added that with the onset of the monsoon season, the chances of dengue outbreaks increase. Therefore, ASHA workers and volunteers have been instructed to conduct their ongoing dengue awareness and survey activities more attentively. They are to check for any stagnant water in households. He stated that whenever these workers and volunteers identify larvae or dengue cases, they will report them, prompting the Municipal Corporation of Dehradun to conduct fogging and larvicidal activities the following day.
Sharma also urged residents to take necessary precautions to prevent dengue, which includes avoiding stagnant water in their homes and surroundings. He specifically asked citizens to observe ‘Har Ravivar Dengue Par Vaar’. This initiative encourages residents to inspect their properties for any containers or areas that may collect stagnant water and to drain them immediately if found. This simple action can significantly help in preventing dengue outbreaks, he said.
According to the Health department, as of July 3, 26 dengue cases have been reported in Dehradun district, with 14 cases from Dehradun and 12 from other States and districts. All reported cases had recovered by the mentioned date. Additionally, by July 3, ASHA workers and volunteers had conducted surveys of 1,62,916 households, of which 884 reported positive. They had searched 1,298,615 containers, identifying 1,057 as positive for larvae.
