Open house: What efforts are needed to tackle the current dengue situation?

Prevention is better than cure

With a number of dengue cases on the rise, order of the day is to take precautions. Dengue fever is caused by the bite of an Aedes aegypti mosquito. These mosquitoes typically live around houses, breeding in stagnated clean water that gets accumulated due to rain, gardening and even car washing. Always remember that treatment without prevention is unsustainable.

Novin Christopher

Suggestions for tackling dengue

To prevent the spread of dengue, all parks and gardens should be cleaned. Stagnating water places such as pits and pot holes should be filled. The beds for dengue patients should be arranged at places other than hospitals such as club houses, party halls, palaces and all hospital equipment should be installed there temporarily.

Anwita Dixit

Need to boost health infra

The city is experiencing a huge dengue outbreak. There is a need to boost health infrastructure. If the Civil Hospital is not catering the needs of the public then government should make a big hospitals like PGI and AIIMS. In order to prevent the spread of dangue, fogging must be done in all areas of the city on regular basis.Through awareness camps, the MC must inform parents about the safety of their kids from this drastic disease. The need of the hour is vaccine for dengue.

Ritu Priya

Deploy Health staff for dengue campaign

As people are still recovering from the Covid- 19 trauma, dengue fever is continuously spreading its tentacles fast and wide, which can further create a serious health challenge for local people and authorities in the upcoming festival season. MC health workers should be used for door-to-door awareness campaign to control and prevent dengue fever.

Simran Arora

vigilant about stagnant water

With the danger of third wave of Covid-19 looming large, the month of October has also brought with it the diseases like malaria, dengue, etc. In recent days there has been a steady rise of dengue cases in the region. The main reason for the spread of dengue seems to be unclean surroundings. We should keep our surroundings clean so that the mosquitoes spreading dengue cannot breed. We should be especially vigilant about stagnant water, either fresh or dirty, as this is the best breeding place for the mosquitoes spreading this disease. We need not store water in buckets in the bathrooms. Mosquito coils, repellents, etc. should be used. Avoid eating from outside. Prefer home cooked fresh food. The MC should also increase the practice of fogging in the infected areas.

Bir Devinder Singh Bedi

Pvt labs charging high for dengue test

The number of dengue patients undergoing treatment in Ludhiana hospitals is much more than the Covid patients. After Covid, now dengue is keeping the Health Department on its toes. The Health Department has failed to act in time and fogging has still not been done in many areas. Private laboratories are charging as high as between Rs1,000 and 1,500 for the dengue test. Dengue can be prevented from spreading if residents sleep under mosquito net, use insect repellents and wear socks. Medical advice be sought immediately if dengue symptoms appear in any individual.

RS SEMBHI

Follow govt guidelines

Yet we have not fully recovered from the effects of Covid, the dangerous dengue has entered into our life. The obvious reason is that we have not become fully health conscious as yet. We suffer due to our negligence and hesitant attitude in life. Time and again the Health Department announces various guidelines for the wellness of residents, but we react like a child and take it lightly. There is only one way to escape from this dreaded disease, we need to become health conscious.

JBS Nanda

Improve hygiene and sanitary conditions

The city is full of garbage dumps lying here and there .These heaps of refuse and water collected in uncountable potholes on our roads are breeding ground of the mosquitoes. To add insult to the injury, our MC does fogging in a very casual and random manner. Thus lack of hygiene and sanitary conditions is responsible for more and more dengue cases. Soon the hospitals will be full and there will be shortage of RDP and SDPs in blood banks . To be on the safe side, all of us should try to cover our bodies fully with clothings and invariably use mosquito repellants.

Dr Sunil Chopra

Authorities concerned are ill-prepared

The rising dengue cases in Ludhiana and other districts of Punjab certainly leading to an epidemic-like situation. The authorities concerned are ill-prepared for this. Fogging/spraying in hot spot areas is need of the hour. This problem is to be handled on priority basis unless it is too late.

R V Singh

Reserve ward for dengue patients

A sound mind lives in a sound body. Similarly, the development of a nation depends upon the responsiveness and sensitiveness of its citizens. Every year we have to face and suffer with various types of diseases such as, dengue, chikungunya, malaria, swine flu, etc. It is the duty of the local, state and Central government to provide medical facilities in civil and private hospitals to look after the dengue patients. The government should order managements of hospitals to keep one ward reserve for dengue patients.

Dr Mohd Saleem Farooqui

People face same issues every year

Every year people face same health issues like dengue. Emergency provision of medicine and other facilities must be there in each hospital. Infrastructure such as proper roads and ambulance service must be in order to carry patients without any delay and hurdle. One should make sure that the living areas and surroundings should be clean. Change the water in room coolers once in a week. The government should make maximum use of electronic and print media to make people aware of the disease.

Farzana Khan

Dengue grips city

The district administration is facing the twin challenge of Covid and dengue. The outbreak of dengue has spread its wings. No vaccine can protect against dengue fever. Only avoiding mosquito bites can prevent it. There are some measures from dengue fewer prevention like wear full body clothes, avoid heavily scented soaps, perfumes and remove stagnant water from surroundings.

Adish Sood

Use mosquito repellent creams

The most efficient way to prevent dengue fever is to use mosquito repellent creams. The higher the concentration, the longer the protection. Also, wear clothing with long sleeves and long pants that cover the skin as much as possible. It is also advisable to wear light-coloured clothing as this usually repels mosquitoes. Having a clean and tidy home is extremely important to prevent dengue mosquitoes from infecting you.

Devna Munjal

Hold fogging drives to fight dengue

The unprecedented rise in dengue cases requires the government to ensure affordable and accessible test and treatments such as by converting community centres into healthcare units, fixing maximum ceiling price for dengue test and treatment. To prevent further rise in cases, the government should undertake regular fogging and spread awareness to prevent its spread.

Medha Batra

QUESTION

Recent incidents of road cave-ins have caused panic and fear among motorists. Commuters always remain jittery about the occurrence of such mishaps as they move around in Ludhiana. Should these incidents, which put public lives at risk, be overlooked as other cases of official apathy are or criminal negligence be fixed against those responsible?

Suggestions in not more than 70 words can be sent to ludhiana.feedback@gmail.com