MARGAO
As people brace up to head to their native villages to join their families to welcome Lord Ganesh tomorrow, Health authorities are on a different mission in the ongoing battle to combat the dengue menace.
In fact, Margao Urban Health Centre’s field staff is on the ground to convey a simple message to the families heading home during the Ganesh Chaturthi festivities “ please leave the water storage tanks and barrels empty and also ensure no water accumulation around the flower pots, before leaving for their native place.
Reason: The health teams fear that the water storage facilities could be the potential mosquito breeding sites right inside the residences of people, more so if the people have drawn up plans to return back home only during the weekend.
In fact, Margao Urban Health Officer, Dr Soccorro Quadros and his field workers have been going around the Margao Municipal area with a simple message to empty the water storage tanks if the families plans to head home on Monday and return back only during the weekend.
With dengue breeding in clean water and right inside the homes of people, making it difficult for the health workers to identify the mosquito breeding sites, health officials are hoping against hope that people will pay heed to their advice by leading to their native villages or states only after emptying the water storage tanks, including buckets and barrels.
Says Dr. Quadros: “Our health workers have been going around the Municipal area with the message not to store water during their absence since chances are that they could not turn out potential breeding sites”.
Dr. Quadros pointed out that dengue situation in the jurisdiction of the Margao Municipal area is well under control with no outbreak of cases. “No doubt, the Margao Urban Health centre is reporting a couple of dengue cases every day. But, all these cases are sporadic in nature, with one case being reported from different wards. These cases are not found in a cluster, but spread across the Municipal wards”, he said.
He added; “We are in a position to control dengue with the number of cases reported in the city. But, things may aggravate if there’s a sudden outbreak and in a cluster. Against this backdrop, the health teams are on the job to ensure that there’s no water storage in the tanks for days together”.
Repeating his appeal to the people of Margao and Fatorda to keep homes clean and hygienic, Dr Quadros pointed out that water storage inside the houses and around the flower pots have been significantly contributing to the dengue cases in the commercial capital.
He, however, asserted that no dengue case has been reported in the city till date, pointing out that dengue can be controlled effectively with cooperation from the citizens.
