Monsoon in, Steps needed to tackle dengue in focus

NEW DELHI: Health minister Saurabh Bharadwaj has directed the education department for adequate surveillance to ensure that private schools in the city adhere to the guidelines mandating full-sleeve clothing for students during the dengue season.
Bharadwaj issued the directions while chairing a meeting of various departments late on Friday to assess preparedness to tackle dengue and other vector-borne cases during the monsoon.
The directorate of education (DoE) said an advisory was issued in May while another had been planned in the second week of July. All schools have already been asked to instruct students to wear full sleeves, said officials. It has also instructed schools to organise parent-teacher meetings in the last week of July to talk about the precautionary measures related to dengue and malaria, officials said.
Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) reported that 40 lakh pamphlets had been centrally printed and were ready for distribution among the public to raise awareness about dengue prevention measures. The ASHA workers have also undergone sensitisation training. DGHS informed the minister that a radio jingle was being readied and expected to be aired soon, reaching a wide audience and reinforcing the importance of dengue prevention.
DGHS also highlighted that the genome sequencing of dengue samples had been intensified. This step will provide valuable insights into the circulating dengue strains and aid in understanding the disease’s epidemiology, contributing to the development of targeted control measures.
Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) informed the health minister that “all schools under MCD are providing kids with dengue home work cards”. MCD has also stepped up efforts to identify and eliminate mosquito breeding sites. Civic officials spoke about the common areas under various departments where mosquito breeding was frequently discovered.
While DoE announced that a dengue homework card would be distributed among students, New Delhi Municipal Council also apprised the minister about the issuance of an advisory and dengue homework cards. Bharadwaj has asked all authorities to develop a system to verify the completion of dengue homework cards.
The minister instructed Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) to inspect JJ clusters to prevent mosquito breeding. DUSIB officials reported that they were consistently monitoring the situation and had also deployed pumps to remove standing water.
Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC) was asked to ensure regular inspections in the areas under their jurisdiction. DSIIDC officials said contractors had been directed to prevent water accumulation in the working areas and educate the labourers about preventive measures.
Bharadwaj asked the special secretary (health) to invite police and Cantonment Board to the next meeting.