Staff Reporter

Margao

Margao Urban Health Centre (UHC) is taking necessary steps to maintain the current status of zero malaria indigenous cases in the town with special drives being conducted in border villages, said UHC in charge Dr Baptist
Mascarenhas.

“We are maintaining surveillance, especially on people from neighbouring states. If we find such a case, within 24 hours we make sure they are tested to rule out a vector-borne disease. In high-risk areas like construction sites and densely-populated areas, we take up fogging and spraying. Pre-monsoon works, to prevent stagnation of water and mosquito-breeding, are also taken up. During source reduction drives, the field workers of the UHC go around looking for discarded plastic cups, coconut shells, pots or spots where water stagnation could occur and, accordingly, the needful is done,” said Dr Mascarenhas.

The UHC incharge said that advocacy workshops are also organised in coordination with the departments concerned.

“Through the workshops we hold meetings with the municipality, Collectorate, PWD and schools and discuss responsibilities of each department in tackling vector-borne diseases. Such a meeting will be held next week or the first week of May. There is also a nodal officer in every department whose one of the responsibilities is keeping office premises clean and water stagnation-free,” said Dr. Mascarenhas.

Help is also sought from NSS students for holding source reduction drives effectively along with the field workers, he said, adding border villages like Curtorim, Navelim and Benaulim are also being kept under watch through their respective primary health centres so that the neighbouring areas are
not neglected.

“We are putting in every effort from our end, and we also encouraging the public to play their part and ensure that there is no water stagnation. They can do their bit by emptying water from discarded vessels once or twice a week,”
he said.