Pimpri-Chinchwad issues alert as cases rise; PMC takes steps to keep good record intact
Pimpri-Chinchwad issues alert as cases rise; PMC takes steps to keep good record intact
The Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation is taking no chances this year and is bending over backwards to keep malaria and dengue under check.u00a0
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| PREVENTION BETTER THAN CURE: Fogging is one of the important steps that civic bodies take to keep mosquitoes in check to prevent monsoon-related diseases such as malaria and dengue. File Pic |
PCMC officials have issued a 'disease' alert to all its ward offices and have employed large number of people to prevent the spread of malaria and dengue. So far, the twin township has already recorded 176 cases of malaria and 47 cases of dengue besides a death.
"We have kept 123 people under observation and surveyed over 32,000 houses in three weeks. We found
1,071 sites, where mosquitoes were breeding. We are spreading awareness about dengue to people as these mosquitoes breed on clear water. To check malaria, we are taking strict action against builders, who allow water stagnation," said Dr Rajshekhar Iyer, medical director, PCMC.
In fact, about Rs 2 lakh has been collected in fines from about 86 persons and 99 construction sites that allowed mosquitoes to breed.
Besides, the PCMC has also started a house-to-house survey with the help of special squads and are also
fining housing societies that leave their overhead water tanks open.
PMC begins surveyThe Pune Municipal Corporation has started surveillance too, even though the number of malaria cases is not particularly high.
According to Sadashiv Patole, PMC's malaria officer there hasn't been a single malaria death within corporation limits in the last few years. In fact, Patole said the cases were few this year. The PMC-run hospitals had reported 12 suspected dengue cases in June and two in July, as compared to 12 in June and 25 in July, last year.
"We want people to know that to prevent diseases such as dengue and malaria, precautions should be taken at home itself. Even if a single malaria case is reported, we survey at least 300 houses in that area and check if any buckets or air conditioners were left uncovered. If not, people are reprimanded or fined," said Dr R R Pardeshi, chief medical officer, PMC.
