Lucknow Docs warn of epidemic

For eitht days, the city has not been cleaned properly. Doctors suspect an outbreak of diseases is round the corner.

For eight days, the city has not been cleaned properly. Doctors suspect an outbreak of diseases is round the corner. The health department officials are right now busy with tackling the menace of Japanese Encephalitis.

HT Image

Over 8000 metric tons of garbage heap scattered at different places in the city is giving call to various infectious and water- borne diseases. The heavy rain that lashed the city a few days back have made situation all the more vulnerable.

“Heaps of garbage with stranded water is an ideal situation for all the infectious diseases to spread. The season for malaria and dengue is just on and it could spread,” says the president of Association of Private Medical Practitioners Dr CV Pandey.

He says it’s high time the civic authorities and specially the administration should look into the problem of the citizens already reeling under threat of JE. Dr Shradha Singh, the honorary secretary of Indian Medical Association (Lucknow) pointed that garbage heaps with rainwater is just the ideal situation for mosquitoes to breed on. More so the houseflies can play vital role in spreading disease through garbage heaps.

“Open bio-waste can trigger the season of viral fever and Malaria also. Though there have not been much cases as yet but since rains had come the authorities should immediately pay attention before any disease spreads,” Dr Pandey stated.

Meanwhile, the health officials when contacted said they were prepared with all facilities. But their attention at present was upon JE. “All attention is on managing the JE patients. Moreover the onus of cleaning the city is with civic authorities,” said Deputy CMO Dr MK Vajpai.