To combat the threat of dengue, Siliguri mayor Goutam Deb, along with the chief medical officer of Health (CMOH) held a meeting on Thursday with the administrators of private nursing homes.
The purpose of this meeting was to share information about patients with fever and their blood test results with health officials, as well as to determine the causes of fever and take necessary actions if dengue is detected.
It should be noted that Mr Deb has taken special measures following the recent death of a nine-year-old girl from dengue. After meeting the family members of the deceased he immediately convened a meeting with corporation officials.
The mother of the victim had made a strong plea to the mayor to ensure the cleanliness of the corporation area. She emphasized that she doesn’t want any other parent to go through the loss of their children.
Mayor Deb also announced that the Siliguri Municipal Corporation will observe a dry day, once a week, and take steps to keep the area clean, particularly stagnant water, which is a breeding ground for mosquitoes.
In an interaction with reporters today, the mayor acknowledged that there are some areas where it is difficult to maintain cleanliness but they are making efforts to control them.
He also revealed that this region was previously known for vector-borne diseases like malaria and kala azar, but thanks to improvements in health management systems, the situation has changed.
He expressed hope that they will also be able to eradicate dengue in this region.