New challenge: Covid-19 on a downslide, dengue raises head

Ludhiana: Even as Covid cases are witnessing a fall, the district is facing another health challenge. Dengue cases are being reported and larvae are being found in various parts of the city. The health department has prepared a plan to tackle vector-borne diseases, including dengue, malaria and chikungunya.
As per the recent health department data, the number of confirmed dengue cases reported from Ludhiana till July 1 was three, all in the urban areas. The three patients included a 28-year-old woman of Civil Lines, a 55-year-old man of Jamalpur and a 37-year-old woman of Chander Nagar.
Last year, the number of dengue cases in Ludhiana was 1,355, which was the second highest in the past five years. The highest number of dengue cases, in the period, was 1,509 reported in 2019. As per the data, two persons had died of dengue in Ludhiana district last year.
Seven malaria cases were reported the previous year, which was the lowest in the past five years, and no chikungunya case was reported.
In a district-level National Vector-Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP) and water-borne monitoring committee meeting held recently, it was said that the whole city population was at risk. The meeting held that these diseases could neither be prevented nor controlled without the active participation of various departments, civic body and the public.
Civil surgeon Dr Kiran Ahluwalia said, “We are working to control dengue. Besides municipal corporation units, we have constituted 18 teams of two members each, including an assistant malaria officer (AMO), to control the disease. These teams have been visiting each sub-division for checking larvae. We have also divided the city into two parts and deputed male supervisors and multi-purpose health workers to monitor high-risk areas, where mosquito breeding checkers have also been deputed.”
The civil surgeon said they have been advising people to wear fully-covered clothes and use mosquito repellents.
Residents feel the department concerned should carry out frequent fogging in their areas.
“The municipal corporation officials are yet to carry out fogging in many areas though they are doing it in Ludhiana (west) constituency,” said Keemti Rawal, a social activist who lives in Chander Nagar.