Field assistants who are in charge of assessing the density and breeding of mosquitoes in the city are working without larvae collection kits.
Chennai:
Larvae collection kit consists of tools such as dipper with telescoping handle, sieve, sample jars, flashlight and aquatic pipettes among others. Currently, there are 40 field assistants working in the civic body. The larvae assessment report is vital while preparing an action plan to control breeding.
When contacted, a Chennai Corporation official said that steps have been taken to procure the kits and “soon after higher officials give permission, procurement order will be placed.”
Meanwhile, the official added that the civic body has taken precautionary measures to prevent an outbreak of dengue by clearing cups and unwanted materials from Chennai Corporation schools.
“A source reduction drive was conducted before the schools reopened and we are going to conduct a re-orientation meeting with malaria workers,” the official added.
The official claimed that the dengue mosquitoes (Aedes mosquitoes) that were active during the daytime has become nocturnal in recent times. “The change in their behaviour is attributed to increased use of lights. However, we could not scientifically confirm this due to lack of laboratories in the civic body,” he pointed out.
400 swine flu cases this year
With most cases reported among children, two children from Coimbatore died due to swine flu this year. There were only 74 cases registered by June 3 in 2018 and by the end of the year, the State recorded a total of 43 deaths due to swine flu and 2,812 cases.
“While there were about 200 cases being reported every month in Tamil Nadu, the numbers have reduced to almost half as the control and preventive measures against swine flu were intensified,” said public health director Dr K Kolandaisamy.
However, the State Health Department asserts that the outbreak is under control.
According to sources, the Greater Chennai Corporation has never provided such kits to field assistants attached to the vector control wing. “We are forced to buy kits with money from our pockets. Some of the field assistants do not have larvae collection kits. Tools in the kit would make the assessment easy,” the source added.
Larvae collection kit consists of tools such as dipper with telescoping handle, sieve, sample jars, flashlight and aquatic pipettes among others. Currently, there are 40 field assistants working in the civic body. The larvae assessment report is vital while preparing an action plan to control breeding.
When contacted, a Chennai Corporation official said that steps have been taken to procure the kits and “soon after higher officials give permission, procurement order will be placed.”
Meanwhile, the official added that the civic body has taken precautionary measures to prevent an outbreak of dengue by clearing cups and unwanted materials from Chennai Corporation schools.
“A source reduction drive was conducted before the schools reopened and we are going to conduct a re-orientation meeting with malaria workers,” the official added.
The official claimed that the dengue mosquitoes (Aedes mosquitoes) that were active during the daytime has become nocturnal in recent times. “The change in their behaviour is attributed to increased use of lights. However, we could not scientifically confirm this due to lack of laboratories in the civic body,” he pointed out.
400 swine flu cases this year
Despite intensified control measures, the number of swine flu cases reported in Tamil Nadu has reached 400 by June 2 as per the recent data released by the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme of National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
With most cases reported among children, two children from Coimbatore died due to swine flu this year. There were only 74 cases registered by June 3 in 2018 and by the end of the year, the State recorded a total of 43 deaths due to swine flu and 2,812 cases.
“While there were about 200 cases being reported every month in Tamil Nadu, the numbers have reduced to almost half as the control and preventive measures against swine flu were intensified,” said public health director Dr K Kolandaisamy.
However, the State Health Department asserts that the outbreak is under control.