New Delhi: Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad visited a hospital in Patna on Wednesday as parts of the city remain waterlogged following incessant rainfall last week. The BJP leader was visiting Patna to assess the situation and the health services available in the city's hospitals.
"I'm here to take stock of health services after flood water receded.There were 119 cases of dengue in hospital, of which 16 are still here. Centre and state are working together to control outbreak of diseases," he said.
With parts of the Bihar capital still inundated following last week's heavy rainfall, the threat of a dengue epidemic looms large over the city.
As per the state health department, around 250 dengue cases have been registered in Patna since September 27, when the downpour began and continued for the next couple of days.
The spurt in the incidence could be gauged from the fact that the number of dengue cases reported between January 1 and September 27 this year was just 409. The department, however, asserted that intensive fogging was being undertaken in water-logged areas, with all medical college hospitals in the city notified as "sentinel sites" for dengue treatment.
It also said that arrangements were being made to set up free medical camps to treat cases of dengue and chikungunya in the city's worst-affected localities on October 10-12, immediately after the Dussehra festivities.
A release issued by the office of Union minister of state for health Ashwini Kumar Choubey said the Centre has chipped in with its resources to combat the crisis. Teams of doctors are treating people for diarrhea, lung infection and skin diseases which may have been caused by the water-logging, the release maintained.
District Magistrate Kumar Ravi said around 2.25 lakh residents have been affected by the water-logging.
"Doctors and paramedics have been deployed at medical camps for the flood victims. Aanganwadi workers have been instructed to keep a watch on the health of women and children. Also, pashu rahat kendras (animal welfare centre) have been set up so that cattle could be moved there from flooded areas and looked after," he said.
With PTI inputs
Comments
0 comment