Churachandpur: The District Administration, Churachandpur reviewed dengue surveillance, treatment and prevention measures in a meeting chaired by Deputy Commissioner Krishna Kumar, IAS, at the DC’s Conference Hall in the Mini-Secretariat, Tuibong, today. The meeting was followed by a press briefing on dengue in the district.
During the meeting, the Deputy Commissioner urged officials to intensify dengue-control efforts and public awareness across the district. He said the mass awareness drive should continue and stressed the importance of implementing preventive measures. He directed officials to improve cleanliness and sanitation, prevent water from stagnating, expand public awareness campaigns and information, education and communication (IEC) activities, and conduct regular surveillance for dengue larvae.
At the press briefing, the Deputy Commissioner said the administration had been reviewing and monitoring dengue cases for several months. The Medical Department was conducting free fogging, source-reduction activities and awareness campaigns, he said. Dengue testing is available free of charge at hospitals, and dedicated beds have been reserved at the district hospital, primary health centres and community health centres.
The Deputy Commissioner urged residents to follow health precautions and seek medical attention promptly for early diagnosis. He also asked village authorities to raise awareness about the ADCC’s garbage collection programme, noting that waste had been dumped in unattended places and that some residents had not subscribed to the service. “Please do have a meeting and inform them, as it is critical to the management of dengue cases,” he said.
He appealed to civil society organisations, youth organisations, church leaders and NGOs to work with the administration to help make Churachandpur district dengue-free. He urged the public to avoid relying on unverified data or spreading rumours that could cause unnecessary panic, and to take all recommended preventive measures.
Chief Medical Officer Dr. Ph. Henkhoneng Mate urged residents to clear stagnant water from homes, streets and public places. She said people should be educated about mosquito breeding sites to help prevent further outbreaks. Aedes aegypti mosquitoes breed in clear water, including water found in flowerpots, refrigerators, coolers, tyres and other containers, she said.
Medical Superintendent Dr. Kh. Sania Monica said the blood bank’s licence had been renewed this year with the Deputy Commissioner’s initiative. The blood bank had issued 126 units of fresh blood, including to private hospitals, particularly for dengue patients, she said. Of the nine deaths registered in the district, four were confirmed as dengue through ELISA tests conducted at the district hospital; the other five were unverified, she added.
District Malaria Officer Dr. Liangoumuan Samte said a Rapid Response Team had been formed and was conducting fogging in different localities. A Source Reduction Team had also been established to support prevention and containment efforts. He said meetings had been held with student leaders and parents’ associations and appealed to the public and line departments to support dengue-prevention efforts.
A district report covering preventive and containment measures records fogging at 1,817 households and 15 active relief camps. Teams carried out source-reduction work in 2,445 households and inspected 29,632 containers in households and 3,358 containers at active relief camps. Awareness campaigns were conducted in 2,033 households, 15 active relief camps and 36 schools.
The Additional Deputy Commissioners, the CEO/ADCC, SDOs, the Executive Engineer of PHED, and Medical Department staff also attended the press briefing.
