The sustained awareness campaign carried out by the Health Department of Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has managed to bring down the number of dengue cases in the metro city. Deputy Mayor Atin Ghosh, who also holds the charge of KMC's health department, said that dengue cases reported from the city from January 1 till September 11 stands at 602, much lower than last year's figure of 911.
"We follow the guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO) in data collection method. Dengue inspection is carried out throughout the city in all wards. We collect raw data and then verify the same through meticulous examination, which includes testing samples of affected patients in our dengue detection centre. Thereafter we bring out the final data list," a report by Millennium Post quoted Atin Ghosh saying.
Dengue, spread by a mosquito-borne disease prevalent in monsoon and post-monsoon season, is spread by the bite of the female mosquito (Aedes aegypti). Mosquitoes spreading diseases dengue, malaria, chikungunya, Zika virus, Yellow fever and others breed in stagnant water.
The daily reported its sources in KMC saying that at present, the highest number of dengue cases have been recorded from Borough 10. Till September 15, the number of people diagnosed by dengue in ward 99 is 42, which refutes the figures claimed by Left councilor Debasish Mukherjee, who alleged that the number was much higher.
"The KMC Health department is sending wrong data related to dengue cases in Kolkata. Documents accessed by me indicate that the Dengue Patient Tracking Console (DPTC) through which data on dengue cases are accessed states that the number of cases are much higher. The data is also not being updated regularly as it should be done," Mukherjee said.
At the monthly civic body meeting on Thursday, the Deputy Mayor responded to the allegations of Debashish Mukherjee and said, "We have conducted thorough examination and it has been revealed that some of the cases were either double entries or it was imported from other places other than ward 99. Our examination also determines whether the affected patient contracted dengue from the mentioned ward or from a place where the person is spending longer time which could be their areas of workplace."
The Deputy Mayor added that the Kolkata Municipal Corporation is strengthening its drive in locked buildings in the city. Section 546 of the KMC Act empowers the commissioner to take up drives in buildings under lock and key for a long period of time by breaking open the lock, if the civic body feels that the building may have turned into a breeding ground for mosquitoes.
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