Jammu: With dengue cases in Jammu and Kashmir nearing the 1,000 mark, the authorities in Jammu region have scaled up efforts to check its spread, officials said on Wednesday.
A total of 993 cases of dengue have been reported in the Union Territory with Jammu (639 cases), Kathua (172) and Samba (87) districts in Jammu Division accounting for majority of the cases till Tuesday, the officials said.
“The office of the State Malariologist in Jammu has scaled up preventive activities such as vector-control activities (bio-larvicide fish, spraying and fogging) and information education and communication (IEC) and behaviour change communication (BCC) activities,” an official spokesman said.
“On-the-spot visit was conducted to the areas having a high number of reported cases. Radio talks to increase awareness among the masses regarding preventive measures have been aired periodically by senior officers of the department,” the spokesman said.
In collaboration with the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC), he said, thermal fogging has been conducted to kill adult mosquitoes in Jammu urban areas.
Similar activities were carried out in Samba, Kathua and Udhampur districts, the spokesman said.
The spokesman said 10 sentinel surveillance hospitals with diagnostic facilities are functional to treat dengue patients.
“Keeping in view the upsurge of cases, 155 beds have been dedicated for dengue patients at Government Medical College (GMC) in Jammu and all district hospitals and new GMCs in Doda, Kathua and Rajouri,” the spokesman said.
Meanwhile, the Union health ministry has sent teams of experts to nine states and union territories, which are reporting a high number of dengue cases, to support them in public health measures for control and management of the disease.
This is in accordance with the directions issued by Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya during a review meeting on the dengue situation in Delhi on Monday, a health ministry statement said.
These nine states and union territories are Haryana, Kerala, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir.
Mandaviya had directed the ministry to extend help to states and union territories that have a high incidence of dengue cases, the statement said.
It said that 1,16,991 dengue cases have been reported by states and union territories across the country.
The statement said that a significantly higher number of cases in some states have been reported in October as compared to the number of cases during the same period in the previous year.
Fifteen states and union territories are reporting their maximum cases in the current year. These states have contributed to 86 per cent of the country’s total dengue cases till October 31, it stated.
In view of this, central teams, comprising experts from the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP), National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and Regional Offices, have been sent to the nine states and union territories that have reported more cases in October compared to September, the statement said.
The teams are tasked to assist and support these states and union territories to mount an effective public health response. They have been asked to report on the status of vector control, availability of kits and medicines, early detection, availability and use of insecticides, status of anti-larval and anti-adult vector control measures, among others, the statement said.
They will also brief state health authorities about their observations, it said.
