Staff Reporter
Panaji
The state reported six confirmed cases of dengue in April this year as against 19 confirmed cases during the same month, last year.
All the six confirmed cases reported are in North Goa – two in Mapusa, while one each in Pernem, Candolim, Aldona and Siolim. South Goa did not see any dengue cases in April.
“We have seen 29 confirmed cases of dengue from January till April this year as against 95 cases during the corresponding period, last year. As there are no cases reported in April in South Goa, we have asked the health centres to monitor all fever cases that report to the outpatient departments (OPD) of primary, community and urban health centres, as the transmission season is fast approaching,” said Dr Kalpana Mahatme, state programme officer and Deputy Director of National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP).
The Directorate of Health Services (DHS), in an advisory issued to the Labour Department, has asked to ensure enforcement of mandatory screening of labourers for health cards of all registered contractors.
Additionally, the Department has also been asked to forward the list of the registered contractors along with their labour force and site of work to NVBDCP in an area wise manner and also the list of labour officers with their jurisdiction.
“It is pertinent to note that all vector borne diseases in the state are notifiable diseases. It is also mandatory that labourers working at the construction sites have to be screened for malaria and to be issued health cards, renewable every three months, failing which a penalty of Rs 10,000 per labour is imposed as per the provisions of Goa Public Health Act,”
said the advisory.
