Mosquito breeding sites in MCC limits increase, DC for surveys

Mosquito breeding sites in MCC limits increase, DC for surveys

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Jan 30, 2016 : Speaking at a meeting on measures to control vector-borne diseases, DK DC Adoor B Ibrahim on Jan 29, directed officials of MCC - Mangaluru City Corporation to conduct a survey of  active and dormant construction sites for detecting mosquito breeding increase.

The DK DC expressed great displeasure over the manner in which the MCC had been conducting the survey on incidence of malaria. He observed that the information on malaria cases in migrant workers was not being followed up regularly. The DC said that malaria cases in MCC limits had shot up by 50 per cent in the last four months and the corporation needs to take measures for arresting the alarming trend.

DC Ibrahim directed the MCC officials to rope in MWPs - multipurpose workers for surveying mosquito-breeding sites. However, he cautioned that the services of MPWs should not be used for Indradhanush project. "If required, hire more workers for the survey," he said. Pointing out that the district had a lone entomologist, the deputy commissioner said that the government had been urged for appoint one more entomologist for the district.

Works at stand still : The DK DC  said that several construction projects in the district had come to a standstill, turning the construction sites in to mosquito-breeding grounds. He said that an action plan for the control of malaria was prepared by Mangaluru City Corporation and a special drive was initiated in all 60 wards. Malaria cases have went up by 20 per cent last year compared to 2013-14.

A health activist said that several construction sites and buildings in the City had turned into mosquito breeding sites and the MCC had not been initiating any punitive measures such as imposing fines on the owners of such sites and buildings.

He said that a building being constructed on the premises of Wenlock Government Hospital in Mangaluru had turned out to be a mosquito breeding site. He also displayed the photographs of the site in the meeting.

When asked, District Surgeon Dr Rajeshwari Devi H R said that a building to house MRI lab was coming up on the site and the contractor concerned had been told to take suitable measures for controlling mosquito menace.

There was ambiguity over the number of deaths due to malaria.

The District Health Officer Ramakrishna said that a specified number of cases were not counted for the district as the deceased belonged to outside places and in some other cases, there were more than one reasons for death. The DC said that the data from private hospitals must also be collected.

Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer P I Srividya said that the MCC and district Health and Family Welfare department should work in tandem for controlling spread of malaria.

Malaria Action and Health Committee member Dr Srinivas Kakkillaya said that a significant number of malaria deaths had not been recorded by the authority concerned.

District Vector Borne Disease Control Officer Dr Arun Kumar and others were present at the meeting.