Mosquito breeding spots identified near Sharada Mandir School and Clube Gaspar Dias
the goan I network
PANAJI
Around 16 cases of dengue have been reported from Miramar near Clube Tennis de Gaspar Dias and Sharda Mandir School. Those affected were admitted to private city hospitals and the Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMC) at Bambolim. Even though the cases were confirmed as dengue, which is a notifiable vector borne disease, hospitals did not intimate health officials, who came into the know after concerned parents informed them.
Health authorities who were informed on Monday, after school re-opened, immediately went to inspect the areas surrounding the club and school to identify mosquito breeding spots which were few. Health officials have assured that everything is under control after the entire area was fumigated on Tuesday and Wednesday.
“We don’t expect anyone new to get infected now that the area has been fumigated,” said Dr Anand Palekar, Goa in-charge of the National Vector Borne Disease Eradication Programme. He, however, added that, if the disease had been transmitted before the area was fumigated, then those cases may come to light in the next couple of days.
The mosquito breeding areas were identified near the Miramar club where construction work was going on some days ago. Some of the construction workers were affected first, after which the virus also affected students from Sharda Mandir School.
Health Officer Dr Pritam Naik has assured that the area will be inspected daily for the next 10 days and that any new reported cases will be tended to promptly. The area will also be fumigated again in another three or four days.
Management authorities at Sharda Mandir told ‘The Goan’ that the school was fumigated on a regular basis with the cooperation of the health department, as a precautionary measure, even before the cases of dengue were reported. “Further, during the rainy season, coils are put in every classroom before the students arrive,” said an administrator of the school. The school faces the problem of stagnant water and open defecation outside the school campus on two sides, which is not within the control of the school.
In July, a similar outbreak in a popular Chicalim school had claimed the life of a 6 year old student, as well as affecting around 20 other students.
As part of ‘Swatchta hi Sewa’ Swatchha Bharat mission of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a citizen sensitisation drive was undertaken in the Bhatle-Althino area. Corporator of the area Pundalik Raut Desai, Commissioner Corporation of City of Panaji (CCP)
Ajit Roy IAS, and other CCP officials participated in the drive. CCP officials interacted with people from area and persuaded them to maintain clean surroundings and to segregate garbage for disposal.
The commissioner informed the residents of the new 24/7 helpline started by the CCP to attend to any complaints pertaining to cleanliness within CCP wards.
The toll-free number is 18002333948.
