PMC rolls out QR-based tool for public to report disease outbreaks

The civic body has appealed to residents to remain alert if multiple people in their locality develop symptoms such as fever, cough, cold, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhoea or jaundice, or if any unusual illness is noticed

To strengthen early detection of infectious disease outbreaks, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has introduced a QR-code-based community reporting tool, enabling citizens to report suspected illness cases or possible disease outbreaks in their neighbourhoods. The PMC health department approved the decision on January 30.

Citizens are encouraged to immediately share this information with the health department by scanning the QR code provided in the notice, they said. (HT)

According to officials, pamphlets will be distributed across the city in the coming week in residential and public areas for people to scan the code and alert the authorities.

The civic body has appealed to residents to remain alert if multiple people in their locality develop symptoms such as fever, cough, cold, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhoea or jaundice, or if any unusual illness is noticed. Citizens are encouraged to immediately share this information with the health department by scanning the QR code provided in the notice, they said.

Dr Vaishali Jadhav, assistant health chief of PMC and head of MSU, said, “Citizens are the first to notice unusual illness in their neighbourhoods. By reporting it early through the QR code, they can help us act quickly and prevent the spread of disease.”

The information submitted through the tool will be directly received by the MUI and is linked to the national Integrated Health Information Platform (IHIP–IDSP).

The PMC health department has assured that the reporting process is simple and citizen-friendly. Residents can submit the form with details like contact number, photos, etc., for follow-up communication if additional information is required.

Dr Nina Borade, health chief of PMC, said the MSU continuously monitors health trends across the city and will use community inputs as an important surveillance tool to detect potential outbreaks at an early stage. “The community reporting tool will strengthen our surveillance system. Once a complaint is received, our teams will immediately verify it and take necessary preventive action on the ground,” she said.

According to PMC officials, the initiative is part of efforts to enhance disease surveillance and ensure timely public health intervention. Once a complaint is submitted through the online form, along with basic details and photographs if required, the information will be directly received by the Metropolitan Surveillance Unit (MSU) of PMC. Health teams then verify the inputs and take necessary preventive and control measures on the ground.