Eight-fold hike in dengue
Ernakulam district has witnessed an eight-fold rise in the number of dengue cases since the commencement of this monsoon, while the number of fever cases has gone up from 12,892 in May to 16,063 in June.
Despite the monsoon being weak so far, epidemic cases have gone up drastically, giving a serious headache to medical officials.
The numbers are also set to go up in the coming months when the monsoon gets stronger. Apart from common fever and dengue, the district has also seen a rise in the number of hepatitis B, H1N1 and chicken pox cases, while leptospirosis (rat fever), diarrhea and typhoid has witnessed a slight drop. The number of malaria cases remains the same.
Though corporation health department officials claim that they have taken several steps to prevent the outbreak of infectious diseases, more cases are being reported from different areas in the city. West Kochi areas are highly vulnerable to epidemics due to poor hygiene and the scarcity of quality drinking water.
Minister Anoop Jacob convened a meeting of health officials to discuss the scenario in the district.
“This year, the number of monsoon-induced diseases reported is comparatively lower than previous years,” said Dr. Hazeena Muhammad, district medical officer.
The pre-monsoon healthcare drive initiated by the health department and works of agencies like the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) have helped in arresting diseases, she added.
The health department has opened separate fever wards in all major hospitals and provided enough stock of medicines. Sanitation measures like chlorination of water sources, fogging and destroying mosquito larvae are continuing.
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