Bhatkal (Uttara Kannada)
District Malaria Control Officer Ramesh Rao  on Tuesday visited the area around the port and inspected the death of a youth due to dengue fever in Manikurve panchayat limits of the taluk.
Earlier in the day, he visited Bhatkal taluk hospital and asked the primary health care officers and community health officers to fully equip and strengthen dengue prevention, control and management measures. The survey of 1172 houses under Manikurve panchayat and rural and urban areas should be completed within three days. He asked them to spray hypochlorite solutions on stagnant sewage water besides creating awareness about cleanliness and symptoms during their visits to homes.
After completing the meeting, he went straight to Mango Kurve Dakke along with the health department team of the taluk and sprayed hypochlorite solutions on the stagnant water in a small drain. He noticed that the water was standing next to an unfit well on the side of the road leading to Bandar Beach and stinking and asked him to immediately write a letter to the local panchayat to close the well.
Later, speaking to the media, Hegde said, “In the wake of suspected dengue cases being detected in urban areas in Bhatkal for the last several days, all necessary steps have been taken by the health department. At present, a youth has died in the suspected case and the department is taking a serious note of the matter and including health staff such as primary health care officers, community health officers and Asha workers, we are visiting the areas where the suspected cases are located and creating awareness among the public, he said.
Taluk Medical Officer Savita Kamath, various staff of the health department and local leaders were present.
