Public Health / Sanitation

“Local bodies must play a role in TB eradication”

Tuesday, 26 August 2014 05:21 administrator

The Hindu 26.08.2014

“Local bodies must play a role in TB eradication”

familiarity matters:Joint Director of Health Services M. Ravikala addressing an awareness programme on tuberculosis control measures for Corporation councillors in Dindigul on Monday.— PHOTO: G. KARTHIKEYAN

Role of local bodies was vital in identifying tuberculosis (TB) cases and referring them to government hospitals, said Joint Director of Health Services M. Ravikala.

Addressing an awareness programme on TB control measures for Dindigul Corporation councillors in 48 wards here on Monday, she said councillors had one-to-one contact with residents of their wards. They could easily identify persons with TB symptoms. The councillors should convince such cases to go to hospital for test.

It would be helpful in identifying TB cases. Early detection would reduce curing period also. The field staff could reach people to certain extent only. Many patients did not complete the six-month course of medicine, she added.

Deputy Director of Health Services S. Mangayarkarasi said TB was the fifth disease in the world to kill most number of people. Of the nine million people affected by TB, only six million cases were detected. Only when the undetected cases were identified and brought to hospital for treatment, TB could be eradicated. Moreover, two million new cases were being detected every year. In Dindigul alone more than 3,000 cases were being detected every year. The detection rate was just 68 per cent in the country. Failure in detecting the case would have a serious impact in the society because one patient will spread the disease to at least to 10 persons, she cautioned.

“Now, we have medicines, doctors and excellent medical system to save people from the disease. But the curing rate was only 25 per cent 25 years ago. Now, it is 86 per cent. TB patients are prone to HIV and diabetes. Delay in detection will lead to multi-drug resistant tuberculosis which is very difficult to treat. Private hospitals must send patients with TB symptoms to government hospitals,” she said.

Mayor V. Marudha Raj assured to extend all support to the health department in eradicating the disease.

Shortage of workers hits mosquito-control work

Wednesday, 20 August 2014 06:05 administrator

The Hindu 20.08.2014

Shortage of workers hits mosquito-control work

With the monsoon comes the problem of water stagnation and that leads to mosquitoes breeding in fresh stagnant water. This is not uncommon in this time of the year as can be seen from the Coimbatore Corporation’s special drive in pockets it considers dengue-prone.

The Corporation has deputed its conservancy workers and engaged a few contract workers to conduct the special drive, which involves door-to-door destruction of mosquito breeding sources like emptying water storage containers, destroying coconut shells and cleaning unused tyres, use of chemicals that prevent mosquito breeding and education of residents on how to control mosquito breeding.

In educating the public the Corporation has also engaged Corporation and State Government school students, who accompany the Corporation teams in the special drive.

But sources in the health wing of the Corporation say that it is only an ad hoc measure and that what ought to be done regularly to control and eradicate mosquitoes is not being done because of staff shortage.

Until recently, the Corporation had field assistants and supervisors who exclusively carried on the mosquito control work. But in their absence because of retirement and replacements, the burden of the task fell on conservancy workers, sanitary inspectors and supervisors, who began doing the job after attending to solid waste management work, cleaning roads and then drains.

The source reduction and other mosquito control-related work fell on the conservancy workers, who are already stretched, the sources say, adding that they are finding it difficult to meet the targets given to the under the mosquito control micro plan.

The plan details the streets the workers have to cover on all the days of the week to do mosquito control work.

The sources admit that the workers are able to meet only 50 per cent of their target.

The Corporation recently augmented the conservancy workers’ strength by taking workers on contract. It also extended the contract period of workers till hiring fresh contractors.

Corporation to open outlet for SHGs

Tuesday, 19 August 2014 10:14 administrator

The Hindu 19.08.2014

Corporation to open outlet for SHGs

30 persons, two each from 65 wards, have enrolled as members

An exclusive service centre established at the Central Bus Stand for marketing SHG products in Tiruchi on Monday.— Photo: B. Velankanni Raj

The Tiruchirapalli City Corporation has established an exclusive centre for selling the products of self-help groups (SHG) at the Central Bus Stand.

The centre is likely to be inaugurated soon and it will be manned by a federation of SHGs. It will coordinate with the self-help groups functioning in the corporation limits to display their products for sales.

V.P. Thandapani, Corporation Commissioner, told The Hindu that it would be a boost to the SHGs and the Federation of SHGs in Tiruchi, who were struggling to market their products under financial constraints in finding permanent shops.

It was expected to get good patronage among the people as it was located at the bus stand, which received thousands of passengers daily. A departmental store had been established.

Stating that it had formed a Federation of SHGs, he said 130 persons, two persons from each of 65 wards, had been enrolled as members of the federation. They would network with the SHG members.

The federation would create a complete database listing the skills of SHG members such as carpentry, masonry, electric and electronic repairs, two wheeler mechanism, floor cleaning, interior decoration, and so on.

It was aimed at generating employment for the SHG members through various sources. The immediate idea was to tap the services required by residents’ welfare associations of various apartments. They could take up works such as sanitation and mosquito control. The office-bearers of the associations would be given the contact numbers of workers attached to the SHGs and Federation, Mr. Thandapani said.

He added that the corporation had established 15 multi-purpose service centres in different parts of 65 wards. They could receive complaints from their respective areas, and pass them to officials to find solutions.

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