Congress holds unique protest with mosquito nets as Bengal steps up efforts to combat dengue

Women were seen making unique gestures while standing underneath the mosquito nets, while men were seen holding yellow placards slamming the Kolkata Municipal Corporation for poor management of the epidemic

Kolkata: The Congress workers of South Kolkata district held a one-of-a-kind protest at Kolkata’s Bhawanipore with women standing inside mosquito nets on the street.

Women were seen making unique gestures while standing underneath the mosquito nets, while men were seen holding yellow placards slamming the Kolkata Municipal Corporation for poor management of the epidemic.

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While one of the placards read, “What and where are good treatment guidelines?” another read, “Kolkata Municipalities failed to prevent dengue”.

The dengue outbreak in Kolkata has turned out to be serious as government hospitals along with private ones are in alert mode.

The dengue situation this year is alarming. In my hospital as on September 25, a total of 90 cases are of dengue. Among them, 16 patients are in ICU, 15 are paediatric cases and 13 patients have been admitted in the last 24 hours.

One person has died of dengue, Infectious Disease expert, Sayan Chakraborty from AMRI Hospital, Kolkata said on Monday speaking to ANI.

To combat the dengue outbreak in the state, the West Bengal government has given direct prevention lists to all hospitals in the state.

Chief Secretary HK Dwivedi on Monday held a meeting with District Magistrates, Kolkata Municipal Corporation Commissioner and Chief Medical Officers of Health (CMOHs) of all districts regarding the dengue situation in the State. Secretaries of Urban Development and Municipal Affairs (UD&MA), Panchayat and Rural Development (P&RD), Public Works Department (PWD), Health and Family Welfare (H&FW) and other senior officers were present in the meeting as well.

Following Monday’s meeting, it was decided that District Magistrates will hold an immediate meeting with all the Councillors of all the affected Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) and ensure that all the preventive steps are taken.

It was also decided to conduct focused intensive cleaning (in Pulse mode) at all the dengue hotspots immediately based on entomological alerts. Special emphasis will be given to the removal of scrap materials and management of construction sites, closed factory premises and vacant lands.

Railways and Metro authorities will be requested to take up proper cleaning activities within their premises along with adequate preventive activities at their construction sites. Other central government organizations will also be requested to take up intensive cleaning activities within their premises.

Cleaning of marketplaces, both in urban and semi-urban areas will be taken up. Newly elected members of the Panchayati Raj Institution will be oriented on dengue prevention.

It has also been decided that legal actions will be initiated against property owners who don’t comply with the dengue preventive measures.

Special cleanliness drives will be continued regularly inside the hospital premises. For proper management of dengue cases, both in private and government medical facilities, regular visits by District Observer teams will be ensured.

All private clinical establishments will be requested to follow the State guidelines regarding dengue case management.

A Special drive will be taken in semi-urban areas for improvement of sanitation and waste management. A micro plan will be prepared for long-term improvement of solid and liquid waste management in those areas.

In order to prevent clogging of drainage, awareness will be generated against the use of single-use plastic. Mosquito bed nets will be distributed in high-burden slums and hotspot areas. The fever clinic and dengue testing facility will remain operational all the time at the government facilities in affected areas.

Moreover, the leaves of all the officials or staff associated with dengue management throughout the State will remain cancelled till the situation improves.