Newz Desk, Durgapur: The West Bengal Health Department has stepped up its preparedness against dengue and other mosquito-borne diseases, issuing a series of urgent directives within 24 hours of a high-level meeting at Swasthya Bhavan chaired by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari.
As part of the intensified surveillance drive, ASHA workers will conduct door-to-door visits across the state to identify cases of fever lasting 48 hours or more and report them to the health authorities. The campaign will continue until October 15, or Panchami, according to the directive. In areas reporting a higher incidence of fever, fever camps will operate from 7 am to 9 pm. Patients requiring further treatment will be referred to hospitals, with arrangements made for admission wherever necessary.
The Health Department has also directed that Dengue NS1/IgM ELISA testing facilities be made available at government hospitals across the state. In places where government facilities are not available, authorities will seek assistance from private diagnostic laboratories. The government has appealed to such laboratories to provide dengue tests either free of cost or at reduced rates to help ensure wider access to testing.
Health workers have additionally been instructed to keep track of dengue patients undergoing treatment at home and regularly monitor their health condition to identify any deterioration at an early stage.
Meanwhile, Municipal Affairs Minister Agnimitra Pal said that cleanliness drives would be conducted across 128 municipalities in the state from Thursday through Saturday as part of efforts to control mosquito breeding and improve sanitation.
