Lack of co-ordination between departments, disease prevention activities inefficient; 118 deaths

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In this rainy season as well, contagious diseases are intensifying due to the lack of coordination among in prevention. 118 people have died from June 1 till yesterday. Last year it was 117.

In addition to dengue, rabies, H1N1 and yellow fever, cholera, which was thought to have been eradicated, has returned.

Departments like health, local government, animal welfare, fisheries etc. should work together for prevention. Activities to begin in January are limited to meetings.

Activities like pre-monsoon cleaning, garbage disposal and dry day observance are not ensured in all the wards. The operation will start in the middle of May. Meanwhile it will start raining. And then everything will stop. The local bodies will complain that the June rains have come early and are out of order.

The state committee for prevention is also ineffective.

The health secretary is the vice-chairman and the health director is the member-secretary in the committee. It is alleged that there is no activity except holding committee meetings.

K - CDC activies inefficient

Efforts to start a Kerala Center for Disease Control and Prevention (K-CDC) on the model of the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (K-CDC) for infectious prevention have not gone anywhere. Rs 50 lakhs have been allocated in the 2021 budget. A special officer has also been appointed. No further action was taken.

Deaths

(June 1st to yesterday)

Rat fever............................50

Dengue...................24

H1 N1...................14

Jaundice...................12

Diarrheal diseases...6

Contagious fever.....................3

WestNile...................3

Brain fever...................3

Chikungunya..............1

Cholera...............................1

Smallpox...................1