These community workers have been told to identify fever cases in every household and encourage them to go for testing. Kolkata: A day after a review meeting on vector borne diseases, the state health department is all set to deploy Asha workers to intensify dengue surveillance.
They have been also asked to facilitate ELISA testing in the nearest govt facility.
There are over 65,000 Asha workers, engaged in different public and community health initiatives, in Bengal. At least 4,000 dengue cases have been reported this year until now from across Bengal, compared to around 7,600 cases till the same time last year. Health officials said fever identification and testing of symptomatic individuals would be conducted till Oct 15.
Health officials have been asked to stay watchful for any indication of clustering so that immediate action can be initiated in the affected locality. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Kolkata | Silver Rate in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata | Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Petrol Price in Kolkata | Diesel Price in Kolkata | CNG Price in Kolkata | LPG Price in Kolkata Stay updated with the latest Kolkata news.
“Any fever case with duration of more than 48 hours shall be mandatorily reported by the Ashas in prescribed format to the medical officer concerned,” the order reads. Health experts said dengue cases have remained unusually low this year. Health minister Sharadwat Mukherjee said the health department would observe Sept as the dengue awareness month.
All CMOHs shall ensure speedy availability of free ELISA testing for dengue in all govt healthcare facilities. But cases might go up, considering the fact that the monsoon isn’t over yet. The health department has also made it mandatory for daily reporting on dengue tests. Download the TOI App.
The Asha workers will visit households in rural, urban and semi-urban areas to look for fever cases, according to a health department order on Wednesday. On Tuesday, Adhikari instructed the health department to stock up testing kits to stay prepared to tackle any surge in dengue tally.