Hyderabad, October 22: With a rise in the number of dengue, chikungunya and other viral fevers, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) is taking firm measures to tackle the threat.
With 96 confirmed and 36 suspected dengue cases, GHMC officials will be visiting clinics and hospitals to collect details of patients suffering from dengue and other viral fevers.
The GHMC staff would collect addresses and details of dengue and chikungunya patients from clinics, nursing homes and private hospitals. The corporation would also take up antilarval measures, spraying and fogging operations in the houses of patients houses and their localities.
Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday after reviewing the cases of viral fevers in GHMC limits, Principal Secretary, Medical and Health, L V Subramanyam along with GHMC Commissioner S P Singh assured that the corporation would swing into action before viral fever cases assumed epidemic proportions.
Special squads have been formed to visit clinics and hospitals for taking further action.
“We have to be alert during the next four weeks as chances of spread of dengue and chikungunya would be more. Once winter arrives, the dengue cases will subside,” Singh said.
Singh and Subramanyam appealed to citizens to keep their houses neat and clean. Dengue is caused by the Aedes Aegypti mosquito and they are active during the day time and found in houses. Dengue results in the fall of platelets in the blood.
The State Government is taking steps to equip district hospitals and blood banks with facilities to provide platelet transfusions to dengue patients.
Blood component separators would help in separating the platelets easily, Subramanyam said.
On swine flu cases, he said that though swine flu was on the wane, there is a chance of a second wave.
Some European countries were experiencing a second wave of swine flu, he said. “But the State Government is geared up to tackle the second wave,” he said.
Subramanyam said that the wait for vaccination against swine flu may stretch longer than expected. The vaccine may not be available before the end of winter.
–Agencies–