Bengaluru, 11 July

After announcing free testing and treatment for dengue fever cases at healthcare centres under the Department of Health, the State government asked district administrations and BBMP to identify hotspots (an area with a radius of about 100M within which two or more dengue positive cases have been reported).

The Health Department also said efforts should be to reduce the number of hotspots through intensification of source reduction activity in such areas, through mass spraying of larvicide in outdoor areas where water stagnation points are noticed, and fogging in indoors.

It said, the campaign for source reduction with appropriate IEC (Information,Education and Communication) on dengue fever prevention and treatment would be undertaken with active involvement of elected representatives, citizens and other allied departments in the forenoon on every Friday (or any other day as decided by the District Task Force) wherein the public would be motivated to take up cleanliness drive inside and outside of their houses as well as empty and scrub clean water storage containers.

Ensure activation of fever clinics in such areas, it said, and asked authorities to ensure distribution of mosquito repellent neem oil or suitable alternatives in such areas for external application on exposed body parts like hands, legs, neck, face, etc to the poor households.

It also called for monitoring positive cases daily for 14 days from onset of symptoms, and to educate them about early warning signs of the mild dengue disease progressing to moderate/severe stage. A minimum of five beds in taluk hospitals and 8-10 beds in district hospitals shall be earmarked for Dengue fever cases, it said.

However, these beds could be utilised for other patients in case they are not fully used for dengue patients.

Testing kits, essential drugs and IV fluids for treatment and management of dengue cases shall be kept well stocked in all Health care facilities, the circular further said, adding that it shall be ensured that platelets, fresh frozen plasma and other blood components are available in sufficient quantity in both public and private blood banks. -PTI