There seems to be a sheer contradiction between words and deeds of Raipur Municipal Corporation (RMC) when it comes to combating malaria. Unfortunately, the mosquitoes rampant in different parts of the city despite of frequent anti-larva campaigns launched by the municipal fail to chafe the thick-skinned responsible authorities.
The municipal’s health department usually carries out anti-larva campaigns to check outbreak of malaria in the city sporadically throughout the year and the trend is being followed for the past several years. However, during monsoon, the department becomes extra-cautious and urges people to make arrangements for drainage of water slugging in air coolers and other household items such as flower pots.
The department’s field workers along with team of district malaria office collect blood samples from those suspected to be affected by malaria besides visiting wards to ensure that adequate arrangements has been done for proper drainage of stagnant water from the houses.
But this time, the municipal authorities seem slumbering as they have not yet chalked out any effective strategy to check occurrence and outbreak of vector-borne diseases including malaria and dengue. In fact, the special anti-larva drive, which the RMC was supposed to launch in the second fortnight of June, has also not been announced.
The Raipurians have realised that the RMC only boasts, but never takes proactive action. Hence, every year, when the municipal’s top brasses including mayor and commissioner claim that they would surely improve the city’s drainage system, the people simply laugh and say they would rather do their own preparation to check accumulation of water in their houses and surroundings.
With the RMC keeping its eyes shut, one can easily see water slugging in small localities after recent intermittent spells of monsoon rains. The water remaining still in all these areas is not only putting public health at risk but is also exposing chink in the armor of the preparedness of RMC to deal with malaria round the year. This monsoon season too, the RMC did precious little to ensure drainage of water but for completing mere formalities in carrying out drain and nullah cleanliness just before onset of monsoon.
When asked how the RMC would check occurrence of malaria when no drives had been launched yet, Mayor Kiranmayi Nayak said – “We never carry anti-larva campaign on seasonal basis. Instead, it continues throughout the year. Hence, there is no question of ‘missing strategy this monsoon’. We make optimum use of our available resources in our yearlong drives to check malaria outbreaks, but we certainly require proper support of District Malaria Office.”
She says that the anti-malaria drive is not the sole responsibility of the municipal but it is equal responsibility of the state malaria department. She informed that the malaria department was not coordinating with the RMC properly owing to which the latter had to face public criticism. “Why not state government merges the malaria department with the RMC so that we could carry the anti-larva campaigns more effectively,” she asked.
The state Programme Officer from Department of Health and Family Welfare Dr Jaiprakash clarifies that he had issued directives to all the District Malaria Officers (DMOs) to start anti-larva campaigns with the civic bodies before monsoon and DMO Raipur was no exception. “There is no lethargy from our side and we are firmly and continuously working with the municipal’s health workers to check occurrence of vector-borne diseases,” he said. When contacted, the DMO Raipur Dr Ashwini Dewangan was not available for comment.
No comments:
Post a Comment