Following DC report, officials had launched mosquito eradication and control steps.
Minicoy island, the second largest and the southernmost among the islands of the Lakshadweep archipelago is inhabited by 12,000 odd residents.
KOCHI: The only government hospital on Minicoy island in the Lakshadweep archipelago is brimming with fever-affected patients, but the authorities have failed to control its spread.
Though they claim that dengue cases have come down over the past few weeks, the residents of the second largest and the southernmost island of the archipelago say that in the absence of proper diagnosis, this statement cannot be relied on.
Following a DC report early this month of the outbreak of dengue fever, the authorities launched mosquito eradication and control measures on the island inhabited by 12,000-odd people.
“They started fogging and spraying of chemicals in stagnant waters since the second week of December. They also distributed mosquito nets to the inmates of the hospital. However, in the last one week they have become lethargic again and the situation can turn bad,” said Mr K. Muhammed, joint convener of CPM at Minicoy.
Dr Hamsakoya, director, Medical and Health Services, Lakshadweep, told DC on Monday that the number of dengue cases in Minicoy has been brought down to seven now from 24 in the first week of this month.
“No new dengue case has also been reported in the past one- and-a-half weeks. We have initiated measures to control larvae and adult mosquitoes,” he claimed.
However, Mr Muhammed said that patients were contracting fever two-three times within one month. “The patients are being discharged even before they are cured because of the rush in the hospital and they turn sick again and become carriers,” he said and added that the residents were also doubtful of proper diagnosis of dengue nowadays.
There are also allegations of doctors being slack in their approach. Mr M. Ibrahim, a resident, said that the Lakshadweep administrator visited the place on Sunday. “They are not serious about tackling the issue. It is getting bad on other islands as well,” he said.
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( Source : deccan chronicle )
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