UDUPI : The Principal Secretary, Department of Health, Usha Ganesh, said on Monday that the Government had taken effective steps to check the spread of chikungunya and dengue in the State.

Speaking to presspersons here, Ms. Ganesh said that 7.8 lakh persons were suspected to have been affected by chikungunya. The State Government had released Rs. 8 crore for their treatment. The Union Government had also provided the State with medicines worth Rs. 2 crore for this purpose.

Fifty-nine cases of dengue had been reported in the State, with two deaths. The number of those affected had come down sharply as compared to last year, Ms. Ganesh said.

In the areas affected by chikungunya and dengue, people had been told to observe one day a week as a dry day. They had to empty all their utensils in which they stored water and wash and dry them in the sun. This had helped check both these diseases. No dengue cases had been reported in Udupi district, she said.

Steps would be also taken to check the spread of malaria in Udupi district, Ms. Ganesh said. More than 500 cases of malaria had been reported in the district. Of these, 150 had been reported from Udupi city, of which 60 were from Malpe. The authorities had been told to take up fogging and other measures to check the spread of the disease.

Janani Suraksha Yojana

Under the Janani Suraksha Yojana, a sum of Rs. 27 lakh had been released for Udupi. The scheme provides women Rs. 500 for normal deliveries and Rs. 1,000 for Caesarian operations, for the first two children. The State had released Rs. 26 lakh for 2,750 women, while an additional Rs. 10 lakh would be given to 1,500 women, she said.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail