Speaking at an awareness programme towards prevention of malaria and dengue organised by Health Concern Foundation (Mangalore) in collaboration with Department of Health and Family Welfare, Dakshina Kannada and Mangalore City Corporation, as part of National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP) at the Town Hall here on Saturday, he said that functioning as mobile clinics, each health team would consist of two doctors and two nurses who would visit government schools in the taluk in a vehicle, and provide treatment to students free of cost.
He said that public awareness being of utmost importance in checking communicable diseases, the youth must stand steadfast and resolve to improve the surroundings they lived in. Eradication of corruption and solid waste will help a long way towards improving health care facilities and checking vector-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue. The educated class should also develop civic sense along with education, he said, adding that it was the duty of every individual to keep his surroundings clean as well as inform the taluk health officer if any case of malaria or dengue were seen.
Speaking on the occasion, MLC Capt Ganesh Karnik said that health care was the biggest concern of the society. “Even after 65 years of Independence, we have problems in checking the major health issues in our country. Affordability, availability and accessibility of basic health care facilities remain major issues to this day. People in rural and forested areas have no access to health care, and obstacles such as poverty and lack of road connectivity are concerns in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts,” he said, stressing on the need to strengthen existing health care centres in the district and state.
In his presidential address, Mangalore South MLA J R Lobo said that we had to means to prevent diseases like malaria and dengue, but the administrative bodies alone could not achieve their prevention.
“It is not possible to check communicable and vector-borne diseases if people do not support and participate in the initiatives taken by the government or other organisations. People will not follow anything unless stringent measures are placed, and in this regard, the state government has passed a bill where strict action will be taken against those who litter, spit or defecate in public places,” he said.
He added that civic awareness was necessary to keep the city clean, and youth ought to take up the lead in this direction.
MCC Commissioner Ajith Kumar Hegde, DGM of Corporation Bank D M Mujumdar and GM of Karnataka Bank Mahabaleshwar Bhat were present.
HCF secretary general Dr Sudhir Hegde made the introductory remarks. CEO Dr Edmond Fernandes welcomed the gathering, and national co-ordinator John Monteiro proposed a vote of thanks.
Following the inaugural programme, Head, Dept of Community Medicine, K S Hegde Medical Academy Dr Udaya Kiran and Head, Dept of Public Health, Manipal University Dr Ramachandra Kamath delivered the keynote addresses.
Comments
Add new comment