PMC gears up to combat vector-borne diseases

Officials are conducting meetings at ward level to check the preparedness to handle vector-borne diseases like dengue, malaria and chikungunya

The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) health department has started holding disease prevention and control programmes to tackle infectious diseases during the monsoon season.

Staff have been asked to strengthen disease surveillance and reporting. (REPRESENTATIVE PHOTO)

Officials are conducting meetings at ward level to check the preparedness to handle vector-borne diseases like dengue, malaria and chikungunya. Staff have been asked to strengthen disease surveillance and reporting.

PMC has instructed health officers to conduct information education and communication (IEC) programmes.

Dr Bhagwan Pawar, health officer, PMC, on Thursday held a meeting with zonal medical officers, ward medical officers, assistant health chief, malaria surveillance officers, and medical superintendents of civic-run hospitals to discuss the plan of action.

Dr Suryakant Devkar, assistant health officer, PMC, who heads the vector-borne disease programme, said that doctors, nurses and hospital staff have been asked to attend such meetings.

“Apart from holding such meets, our focus will also be to find and eliminate mosquito breeding spots. Health officials at every ward have been asked to prepare a list of permanent and temporary mosquito breeding spots,” he said.

On reports of mosquito breeding spots found at municipal hospitals in the past, Dr Devkar said, “We have instructed medical superintendents to identify and get rid of indoor and outdoor breeding spots at medical facilities.”