Kerala - Kannur   

Awareness campaign against diseases to be launched

Staff Reporter

District-level meeting chalks out action plan

TAKING NO CHANCES: A municipal worker using fogging machine as part of a sanitation drive in Kannur on Saturday.

KANNUR: A district-level meeting of people's representatives, political party leaders, officials, and representatives of voluntary organisations here on Saturday to chalk out an action plan against vector-borne diseases, including chikungunya, as part of a State-wide sanitation drive voiced a resolution to launch door-to-door awareness campaign and carry out sanitation activities in the district.

Inaugurating the meeting, held at the Dinesh Auditorium here, A.P. Abdullakutty, MP, said the chikungunya outbreak should open the eyes of the authorities to the urgency of a scientific garbage disposal plan for the State. The Government should consider giving subsidies to set up small vermi-compost units in households. Use of plastic tumblers and carry bags should be banned, he said.

District Collector Ishita Roy spoke about the preventive action plan being taken up. Grama panchayat-level meeting would be held on Monday and ward-level meetings on Tuesday. These would be followed by door-to-door squad work to create awareness of sanitation on Wednesday and Thursday. A massive voluntary sanitation drive in the panchayats and municipalities would be held on Friday.

She told the local body officials that the Government had permitted use of 10 per cent of the maintenance grant for purchase of medicines. Two control rooms were opened. Their phone numbers were 2700194 and 2700645.

Multi-tier panels

Our Staff Reporter writes from Malappuram

The district authorities on Saturday prepared an action plan to counter any possible outbreak of chikungunya. The action plan was presented at a meeting of the people's representatives, officials and volunteers held at the Municipal Town Hall here.

Minister for Local Administration Paloli Mohammed Kutty inaugurated the meeting. The plan prepared by the Collector and his team has given thrust to cleanliness and awareness. Multi-tier committees have been formed to ensure implementation of the action plan on a war footing.

The district-level committee will draw up schemes for creating awareness and containing diseases. It will also help panchayat-level committees, monitor the activities of various departments and non-governmental organisations, appoint charge officers in all taluks, and review the work of panchayat-level committees and task forces .

They will work to eradicate mosquito breeding grounds, inspect cleanliness of drinking water sources and ensure proper waste disposal. Government departments have been assigned specific tasks to counter possible outbreak of chikungunya.

Increase in cases

Our Staff Reporter adds from Palakkad

There has been an alarming increase in the number of cases of general fever and suspected chikungunya being reported from the district. 1,050 cases of general fever were reported on Saturday. Five cases of suspected chikungunya was also reported.

The total number of suspected chikungunya cases in the district rose to 91 on Saturday, Health Department officials here said.

Meanwhile, a meeting of presidents of municipalities and panchayats, MPs, MLAs and department heads, convened by District Collector K. Ajayakumar, gave local bodies the permission to spend funds for the control of fever, without any restriction. "Panchayats can spend their fund or any other funds for the purpose," the Collector said.

The meeting but failed to chalk out a specific action plan for the district, except asking the local bodies to implement the general guidelines issued by the Health Department. Panchayats have also been asked to do epidemiological and entomological surveillance and monitor cases of fever closely. They have also been instructed to intensify vector surveillance (of both adult and aquatic stage of mosquitoes). High-risk areas were also being identified to initiate control measures. Deputy Speaker Jose Baby presided.

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