Joda: Dr Gagan Singh Sonal, additional director of National Vector-borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP) visited the dengue affected wards of this town and took stock of the situation Monday.
He said awareness is the key to combat the vector-borne disease which has acquired endemic proportions in this mining town.
After his arrival in the morning, Sonal conducted a review meeting at Joda municipality office with executive officer Prasant Kumar Sahoo. He enquired from Sahoo about the status of the disease and various awareness programmes undertaken by the civic body to control its spread.
He went through the survey reports of the civic body and had a threadbare discussion on the sanitary condition prevailing in various wards. The official advised the civic and health officials to continue with awareness programmes till the disease is brought under control.
However, health officer Rajendra Kumar Mishra raised objections to an attempt by TSRDS, the CSR wing of Tata Steel, to showcase its awareness programmes before the visiting additional director through video clippings.
Mishra asked TSRDS officials to speak about the wards where they have conducted awareness programmes. TSRDS officials were not preset when Sonal paid a visit to the wards.
Sonal visited over 15 households in ward 1, 2 and 9 and advised the residents to keep their surroundings clean.
He later visited the community health centre (CHC) and discussed with doctors, pharmacists and pathologists on treatment, blood examination and distribution of medicines to patients.
He also enquired about the exact number of malaria and dengue patients getting treated at
the health centre and directed the doctors to attend to patients in clean and hygienic surroundings. Senior civic body and health officials accompanied Sonal. PNN