Howrah: Over 150 dengue cases were reported in Howrah Municipal Corporation (HMC) and nearby areas in about a week between Oct 14 and Oct 20, prompting district health authorities to intensify prevention and vector-control measures. Howrah city had reported 350 dengue cases over the past seven months.The surge in dengue cases in Howrah at the end of the monsoon season has alarmed district health authorities. District health department sources said HMC had no experienced medical officer.They alleged that the Trinamool-run board’s appointment of a homeopathic doctor as an OSD had worsened the situation and claimed the department was dissatisfied with the OSD’s decisions.Of the 150 recent cases, 47 were detected within the limits of HMC or the municipal area. At Bankra number 1 gram panchayat, at least 19 infections were reported, as on Saturday—the highest number of dengue infections recorded on the outskirts of Howrah. The cases in Bankra were reported from Mondalpara, New Mondalpara and Uttarpara. Among those infected, 94 people with various health complications were admitted to the Howrah District Hospital. One critically ill patient was referred to RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, while the others were being treated at local healthcare facilities.Howrah chief medical officer of health, Kishalay Dutta, said dengue cases had surged in parts of Bankra and some municipal areas all of a sudden. Garbage-clogged drains had caused waterlogging, leading to breeding grounds for dengue-carrying mosquitoes, he added.A vector-control team was sent to the affected areas and mosquito repellent oil was being sprayed. Workers deployed by the panchayat, district administration and the state administration were clearing accumulated waste on an emergency basis.The district health department said dengue prevention measures were being undertaken on a war-footing.
