Dengue: BBMP gets going, to hire 600 health workers

By Y. Maheswara Reddy | NT

Bengaluru: The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Health Department is inducting health workers to fight the spread of dengue cases in the city. Fortunately, this year the number of dengue cases in the city is lower at 1,119, compared with 1,912 last year.

“We have pressed around 100 male health workers into service at various areas in the city to prevent spread of dengue cases. I expect 200 more male health workers to join soon under the Urban Health Mission programme,’’ said BBMP Chief Health Officer Dr Balachandran.

The Chief Medical Officer has said the BBMP has already sent a proposal to the state government to facilitate 600 to 700 health workers to conduct larva surveys in the city. “The state government used to permit the BBMP Health Department to have 600 health workers to conduct surveys till a few years ago. Now, we have requested the authorities to allow the BBMP to have a similar number of health workers,” said the BBMP Chief Medical Officer, adding that each ward will have two to th ree health workers.

According to the data available with the News Trail, Bengaluru East zone leads with 429 dengue cases, followed by Mahadevapura (150), Yelahanka (149), Bengaluru South (106), R.R. Nagar 97, Bengaluru West (87), Bommanahalli (70) and Dasarahalli (31) from January 2021 to till date. Chikungunya cases are also less at 55 compared with 139 last year.

The BBMP Chief Medical Officer has said that instructions were given to the health workers to visit the areas where dengue cases are reported. “The health workers visit the house where dengue cases are reported. They take measures to keep the 100 meter radius of the house clean. They will create awareness among the residents through a public address system,’’ the BBMP Chief Medical Officer said.

He said the existing health workers of the BBMP have been assigned multiple tasks due to the Covid pandemic. “Our objective is to have a separate team of health workers to conduct larva surveys in the city. We are confident of preventing the spread of dengue cases in the city,” he added.