KOLLAM: Viral fever cases continued to be reported from various parts of the district on Tuesday even as the army medical team began its operations.

About 1,600 viral fever cases were reported in the district on Tuesday. Kottarakara reported 390 cases, Punalur 352, Pathanapuram 246 cases and Kulakada 101. No suspected cases of chikungunya was reported from anywhere in the district.

On Monday, 1,490 cases of viral fever were reported in the district.

With the arrival of the Army medical team on Monday, the fight against the epidemic has begun on a war footing in the district.

Soon after arrival, the army team held discussions with District Medical Officer Elizabeth John Zacharia and other officers of the district administration to chart out a strategy for the "tentative programme of defence forces-assisted epidemic control activities" to be implemented in the district. The 18-member army team is led by Col. P.K. Pande.

The team began its operations in the district on Tuesday afternoon at Pattazhi. The army will adopt a two-pronged strategy against epidemics. One will be comprehensive medical camps and the other preventive measures and awareness campaigns. These will be organised in all the areas vulnerable to epidemics.

On Wednesday too, the operation of the team will be concentrated at Pattazhi. On June 14, the team will go at Thalachira, June 15 Punalur, June 16 Piravanthur, June 17 Kulathupuzha and Thenmala, June 18 Sooranad and June 19 Thrikovilvattom.

The army team is assisted by District Malaria Officer T. Suresh. A parallel medical campaign by the District Medical Office (DMO) started at the Punalur complex of Rehabilitation Plantations Limited.

On Wednesday, the DMO campaign will be held at Pathanapuram, on June 14 Pattazhi, June 15 Kulathupuzha, June 16 Velinelloor, June 17 Munroe Thuruthu, June 20 Kundara and June 21 Kalakode.

Meanwhile, a week-long cleanliness campaign began in the district on Tuesday. A special district-level meeting chaired by Labour Minister P.K. Gurudasan called for good public participation in the campaign.

Total sanitation day

As part of the campaign, June 18 will be observed total sanitation day in the district. The campaign was inaugurated at Neendakara by Minister for Water Resources N.K. Premachandran. Mayor N. Padmalochanan inaugurated the Kollam Corporation's cleanliness campaign at Asramam Maidan on Tuesday. The DMO organised 352 awareness classes in the district.

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