Dengue scare: Corporation directs all schools to send daily list of absent students

Most parents remain unaware of dengue and fail to seek medical help when children fall sick. So, we have directed the schools to send the lists of students who take leave citing fever, on a daily basis. Once we get them, our field officials will visit the houses of these children and convince the parents to take them to hospitals,” a senior Corporation official said.

It is learnt that the field level officials visited four houses in Manali Zone after a private school sent the list of fever affected students on Wednesday. The city has been brought into high alert after four children, including twins, had succumbed to dengue last week. “As of now, nearly 150 fever cases were reported in the city, of which around 30 were tested positive of dengue. Also, 10 cases of swine flu were also identified,” a source said.

The Corporation has also charted a weekly plan to ensure source reduction. “Our staff will visit all the government offices on Mondays, hospitals on Tuesdays, open and unused land parcels on Wednesdays, schools on Thursdays, commercial buildings on Fridays and TNSCB and other quarters on Saturdays to clear waste and garbage that act as sources of breeding,” the official added.

Meanwhile, the civic body has planned to erect banners in public places to educate the public about the prevention of dengue and swine flu. “We procured two tonnes of Nilavembu powder and distributed 750 kg to Amma canteens. The government has organised as many as 31 mobile medical camps,” the official said.

During the past two months, the Corporation has collected Rs 17 lakh penalty from building owners who stored water in under construction buildings disregarding health concerns.

“We have intensified the source reduction drive in the city. We collected Rs 8 lakh in September, and Rs 9 lakh in October,” an official said.