Margao UHC on its toes in fight against vector-borne diseases

MARGAO
An odd case that came to light recently is the lone malaria case that has been detected in the commercial capital so far, ringing in good news on the malaria and dengue front this season.

The Margao Urban Health Centre, however, is not in any way lowering its guard in the battle against malaria and dengue, which had wrought havoc in the commercial capital a year ago.

In fact, while the Margao UHC officials are all pre-occupied and working round the clock in the battle against Covid, the field workers have not in any way ignored the threat posed by the vector-borne diseases, including malaria and dengue.

Margao Urban Health Officer, Dr Anju Kharangate was quick to point out that not a single dengue case has been reported from the city so far this season. And, she informed that the lone case of malaria detected at a construction site in the city was in respect to a worker, hailing from the neighbouring state of Karnataka. “We have so far detected a lone malaria case in Margao. There was another case, which pertained to an area outside our jurisdiction,” Dr Anju added.

She, however, hastened to add that the health workers have not lowered their guard in any way, implementing all the measures to control vector-borne diseases in the city.

In fact, Margao UHC field workers have hit the ground, as they have fanned out to various places in the city, moving door-to-door to distribute pamphlets to the households on the measures required to keep the mosquitoes at bay and to carry out the spraying of insecticides at construction sites and open spaces.

Field workers told The Goan that they have carried out screening of migrant construction workers at the sites as a matter of abundant caution. “We had collected and lifted away abandoned rubber tyres from the shops and open space well before the onset of monsoons. Right now, we are on the job to introduce guppy fish in the abandoned construction sites in the city,” the worker said.

Interactions have been held with the migrant workers at the construction sites to explain the workers the precautions they need to adopt to keep the mosquitoes at bay. “We have carried out screening of the labourers at the construction site. The workers have also been provided with the Long-Lasting Insecticidal Nets (LLIN) as part of the ongoing operations,” the worker said, adding that fumigation is also being carried out in the city at vulnerable points.