Monsoon rains: High-level meeting decides to strengthen surveillance of communicable diseases

Thiruvananthapuram: In light of the monsoon, Kerala health minister Veena George has emphasised the need to enhance surveillance against communicable diseases at the district level. 

The highest attention should be given to dengue fever and leptospirosis. Field-level vigilance should be intensified. Any incident of such fevers should be immediately reported at the district level, the minister said during a high-level meeting convened to assess the current situation of communicable diseases in the state. Veena also stressed the importance of evaluating district-level activities at the state level.

The meeting evaluated hospital conditions and emphasised the effectiveness of fever clinics. Adequate facilities, such as special wards and intensive care units, should be established in medical colleges to address demand. Hospitals must have sufficient staff, including doctors. All hospitals should ensure medications, safety equipment, and test kits. Additional supplies such as Doxycycline and ORS should also be considered. Regular assessments of drug stocks should be conducted, and concerned personnel should be notified to ensure drug availability in advance.

The meeting noted that dengue fever can spread both indoors and outdoors. Mosquitoes breed on houseplants, money plants, and refrigerator trays. Therefore, every household must exercise caution. Prevent water accumulation inside or outside the house to eliminate mosquito breeding conditions. Health precautions, including the destruction of breeding sources in public spaces, should be planned and implemented in collaboration with local institutions. The minister also instructed us to strengthen awareness activities.

Water stored in containers should be covered in areas facing water scarcity. Tire shops and construction sites are mosquito breeding grounds. Owners of such sites should be especially vigilant. Health workers should monitor these areas and take necessary action. Individuals who come into contact with mud or water should take Doxycycline as prescribed by health workers.