PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
The Health department dengue survey activity in Dehradun district has been hindered due to a shortage of funds, resulting in a reduction in the number of volunteers engaged for the survey. It is important to mention that each year, in an effort to reduce dengue cases, the health department appoints volunteers to conduct home surveys for dengue larvicide. This year, Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) workers and volunteers have also been carrying out the dengue survey in the Dehradun district under the guidance of the Health department. However, it was previously reported that the contract for the volunteers hired this year expired in September.
The Dehradun chief medical officer Dr Manoj Kumar Sharma, provided an update on the current situation regarding dengue. For this year’s dengue survey activities, 140 volunteers have been recruited, with 100 assigned to Dehradun district and 40 to Rishikesh. He said that while the volunteers had been actively conducting regular dengue surveys, their contract expired on September 27. Considering the current dengue situation and the unusual rainfall, the Health department decided to extend the volunteers’ contracts through October. Consequently, they requested an extension and budget allocation for these volunteers from the National Health Mission (NHM). Although the volunteer contracts were extended until October, they had reduced the number of volunteers from 140 to 110.
The decline in the number of volunteers is due to the NHM reallocating a budget of about Rs seven lakh, which is inadequate. This budget cut has resulted in a loss of 50 volunteers in Dehradun and 60 in Rishikesh, he said.
He further urged the public to take necessary precautions to protect themselves from dengue, such as avoiding stagnant water and using mosquito repellent, among other measures.
Notably, over 500 dengue cases have been reported in the Dehradun district so far, including both local cases and those from other States or districts.
