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Blame game over viral diseases
Even as dozens of citizens in the city are in the grip of viral fevers, including dengue, the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) and
VMC sent preliminary figures to govt over the situation prevailing in city
Vijayawada: Even as dozens of citizens in the city are in the grip of viral fevers, including dengue, the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) and the District Medical and Health Department have failed to take measures to protect the people from the menace. The irony is that they have no information about situation prevailed in the district in general and in the city in particular. The Medical and Health department, which has not gathered primary information over status of viral fevers in the city, submitted some rough figures to Chief Minister on Saturday.
A significant number of people in the city are suffering from viral fevers, malaria, Vector-borne and water-borne diseases for at least one month. Though the diseases reportedly claimed some lives, chief medical officer of the VMC M Gopi Naik rejected these reports. According to biologist of VMC A Nukaraju, 26 dengue cases were recorded on September 17 and the total viral fever cases were 1,273 from January 2 to September 15. Besides, 378 malaria cases are recorded till September 16 and 15 diarrhoea cases also recorded in September.
The VMC entrusted urban community health centers in the city to the District Medical and Health department in July this year. A senior official in VMC said that Medical and Health department had failed to conduct survey on viral fevers and medical camps in vulnerable areas in the city. The department had not taken up any initiative until the Principal Secretary of Medical and Health Poonam Malakondaiah warned officials over situation in the city on Friday.
Regional Director of Medical and Health on Saturday asked VMC officials to submit information about the viral fevers in the city during videoconference of Chief Minister on Saturday. As the VMC did not have information over the viral fevers, officials of RD office expressed dissatisfaction over the functioning of the VMC. An official of VMC said, “All municipalities and municipal corporations sent information except VMC. The reason is the Deputy DM&HO office had no primary information over viral fevers and vector-borne diseases situation in the city.”
According to the official, the figures of June on water and vector-borne diseases increased immediately and submitted to the RD office. He said an officer of Deputy DM&HO office said that she did not have any information and asked VMC official to send report as “no diseases were recorded”.
Speaking to ‘The Hans India’, CMOH Gopi Naik said, “We are intensifying the operations to curb the viral diseases in the city and the situation is under control. We put special focus on 15 vulnerable areas in the city.” Deputy DM&HO Dr Seethamma said that it was responsibility of CMOH of VMC to gather information and send to government over viral diseases in the city. “We are conducting medical camps and put indent for supplying of medicines,” she added.
K Varaprasada Rao
