'Dengue is Rich Man's Malaria because the people of higher income groups usually plants saplings which require pots filled with water all the time and moreover they also built various water-based structures like Fountains, etc. in which water remains stagnated for a long time. All these things provide a favourable environment for mosquitoes to breed. Dengue virus is primarily transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes. These mosquitoes survive in clean water and bite at any time of the day. These are the major reasons that people living in urban areas are coming under the attack of such diseases. On the other hand the mosquito which spread Malaria survives in contaminated water and bite at night.' This was stated by Gurpreet Kaur Sapra, Deputy Commissioner here at District Administrative Complex while presiding over the meeting of the officials of various departments regarding the prevention of Dengue/Malaria.Deputy Commissioner instructed the officials of Local Bodies Department to move ahead for intense fogging in the district. She asked to accelerate the checking regarding the larva of the Dengue and to impose the fine on the violators of the instructions issued regarding proper cleanliness. She instructed the officials of the Education Department to issue the instructions to the students that from October 15 onwards they must wear full sleeve dresses.
All the Departments would observe Dry Day on every Friday and they would send the reports to Deputy Commissioner's office in this regard. She instructed the officials to ensure the cleanliness of their offices and water should not stagnate in the plant pots.She disclosed that 05 Breeding Checkers were working in the SAS Nagar city since March this year and from July onwards 20 Breeding Checkers were also working in Nayagaon, Zirakpur and Kharar. The insecticide required for fogging is available with Health department and departments concerned with fogging could avail that according to their requirement. SMOs could be contacted for anything required for the prevention of the Dengue/Malaria. Deputy Commissioner instructed that all the necessary steps should be taken to prevent the breeding of mosquitoes in villages. Rural Medical Officers would prepare blood slides and organize special awareness camps in the villages. Officials of Public Works Department would immediately take steps to stop the leakage of drinking water if there was any.
Moreover, they would ensure the proper drainage of the water also. She disclosed that any kind of information regarding health could be availed with the help of the toll-free number of Health Department i.e. 104.She further disclosed that last year 128 cases of Malaria and 476 cases of Dengue were reported and this year 64 cases of malaria and 261 cases of Dengue were reported till the end of September. All the Govt. and Private Hospitals were instructed that they should not declare the case of Dengue without any confirmation and the patients should be treated according to the instructions of NVBCP. She further disclosed that the cases of Dengue/Malaria could be registered on the website of the NVBCP Punjab. Treatment and Test of Malaria fever are free in all the Govt. Hospitals of the state. Moreover, tests of Dengue fever and Supportive treatment is also free in all the Govt. Hospitals of the state.