Sundargarh gears up to tackle mosquito menace

ROURKELA: With 17 fresh cases of suspected dengue reported till Friday and nine blood samples sent for examination, six of them testing positive, District Collector Rupa Roshan Sahu swung into action and directed the municipal and health authorities to take up vector control measures immediately.What comes as a worry for the administration is the fact that a child, Pratish Jaiswal, of Lahunipara  is under treatment for the disease. Lahunipara is one of the rural areas where dengue virus is prevalent. At the emergency meeting with officials from public and private sector, the health institutions, Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP), Rourkela municipality and Lathikata and Kuanrmunda blocks, Rupa instructed them to take up immediate sanitary drive to curb mosquito breeding. A control room was set up at the Sundargarh district headquarters hospital for better surveillance of dengue cases. The Collector warned of stern action for any laxity, adding  free treatment for dengue would be available at the DHH and Rourkela Government Hospital soon. With majority of cases reported from  Rourkela city which has earned the dubious distinction of not taking up adequate mosquito control measures, the Rourkela municipality and Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) authorities were asked to do the needful quickly.The municipal executive officer was instructed to organise spraying of mosquito larvicide oil in all 33 wards on a war-footing. Ironically, the Rourkela municipality does not have its own fogging machines. Sundargarh CDMO SC Patel was present.