Chennai: State health officials are now preparing themselves to tackle monsoon-borne diseases such as dehydration, dengue, malaria and chikungunya.
After ensuring storage of adequate drugs to face an epidemic, health officials are making arrangements to fight all mosquito-borne diseases. However, doctors’ associations and health activists opined that the state is still lagging behind in carrying out the measures.
G.R. Ravindranath of Doctors’ Association for Social Equality said doctors from government hospitals claim to have received only sub standard chlorine and bleaching powder which serve no purpose.
“The main focus during monsoons, as always, is to ensure that water-borne communicable diseases and vector-borne diseases like dengue, malaria and chikungunya do not spread. To ensure the same, sustained campaigns are held, where there is a standard removal of mosquito breeding sources. Fogging measures are also undertaken to ensure such diseases do not occur,” said a senior health official.
However, Rex Sargunam, president, Tamil Nadu Health Development Association, felt that no effort has been made on the part of the corporation.
“The moment the rains come - be it small or heavy - water stagnates everywhere providing a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Earlier, there was a higher incidence of dengue and now, if there is a fall in incidence, it is only due to epidemiological reasons.”
With a majority of roads potholed or having open manholes, water tends to overflow. “When there is an overflow, it remains stagnated for a few days and mosquitoes start thriving. Local authorities should do something about it immediately,” Rex added.
Dehydration too is a major cause of concern for health officials. The food safety department conducts checks on shops selling bottled water and water can units, to ensure that water sold is hygienic to prevent stomach related diseases. “We have urged all hospitals to make sure there is adequate stock of ORS and IV fluids for such instances,” said the official.
“The state health officials should conduct periodical meetings with crucial departments ahead of monsoon. Uniting to save the state is essential,” said Ravindranath. “The health department has also been conducting active fever surveillance by analysing whether there is any unusual trend anywhere,” he said.
‘Desilting of stormwater drains not done properly’
Despite flash floods ravaging Chennai and Kancheepuram last December, the PWD seems yet to learn its lessons. The department is now a sleeping giant ducking over clogged canals located in Greater Chennai and Kancheepuram.
The little respite is that Chennai corporation has commenced desilting works along stormwater drains, ahead of monsoon, but again civic activists in city are crying foul calling the work substandard.
“The corporation officials have started the annual desilting of storm water drains in K K Nagar and Ashok Nagar, but the silt is not properly removed and the haphazard work is evident when you glance”, alleged RTI activist V. Gopalakrishnan. Along MGR Salai. there are shops letting sewage into the corporation storm water drain. Despite complaints to authorities, no action is taken.
Two weeks back we handed over a petition to senior PWD official seeking early desilting of Naattu Kalvai that runs collecting the storm water of Thiruneermalai, Pammal and Pallavaram, but still there is no action on our petitions, said K. Harikrishnan, a resident of Pallavaram.
When contacted, an engineer with Pammal municipality said the local body has powers and funds only to clear garbage and water hyacinth along water channels. The engineer also confirmed that PWD, which is the custodian of major water channels in Chennai, is yet to begin desilting. “We are just clearing garbage and encroachments, desilting works are done by PWD Chennai circle,” said a Chennai corporation engineer when asked about desilting of Otteri Nullah that flooded north Chennai during the December deluge. Senior PWD officials were not available for comment.
