Pre-monsoon prep on hold, fear of dengue, leptospirosis outbreak lurks in Mumbai

600 employees of BMC’s insecticide department assigned fumigation work to tackle Covid

With the pre-monsoon preparation to curb the outbreak of dengue, malaria and leptospirosis taking a back seat amid the fight against Covid-19, cases of water-borne diseases are likely to rise during the rains, warn experts.

HT Image

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the onset of southwest monsoon in Mumbai is likely on June 10. But unlike every year, the insecticide department hasn’t started door-to-door inspections, fogging, spraying disinfectants, identifying breeding grounds and killing rodents, among others. All 600 employees of the insecticide department of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) have been assigned fumigation work to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

In June 2019, the city saw eight cases of dengue, 15 cases of malaria and five of leptospirosis. For the first time in a decade, Mumbai didn’t record a malaria death last year.

“Every year, the pre-monsoon preparations begin by March. This year we are so busy with Covid that we haven’t gotten the time for it,” said an officer from the insecticide department. “As we have the fumigation machines, we have been assigned duties in societies and hospitals for Covid care. The BMC is planning to frame a policy and we hope that the solid waste management, which is currently functioning on 50% strength, will come forward to help us.”

Medical experts are, however, concerned. “Recently, it started to rain in Bangalore. If it happens in Mumbai, it will be a big problem for the health team to deal with. Although the priority for now is Covid, focus should also be paid to seasonal diseases as the monsoon is not very far,” said Dr Vikrant Shah, infection specialist from Zen Hospital, Chembur.

A patients’ rights activist has filed a complaint with the National Human Rights Commission, Delhi seeking intervention from the health department to bring the pandemic under control before the monsoon. “Already, the slums in Dharavi, Govandi and Worli have turned into Covid hotspots. In the monsoon, it will be tougher to maintain social distance and keep a tab on slum dwellers,” said Dr Yogesh Dube, president of Bhartiya Vikas Sansthan.

Due to the pandemic, blood donation, too, has dropped by 70%, with most blood banks running out of blood and platelets. “A healthy person has a platelet count between 150,000 and 250,000 per microlitres of blood. In dengue patients, the count deteriorates to 20,000, making platelet transfusion essential. With no blood donation, we won’t have enough platelets to save them,” said a blood officer from a civic-run hospital.