The Epidemiology and Diseases Control Division (EDCD) said it has already sent necessary testing equipment and reagent to district hospitals and zonal hospitals in Tarai districts.[break]
“We have sent reagents and equipment to the hospitals,” Director of EDCD Dr Saroj Prasad Rajendra said. She added that the World Health Organization (WHO) has assisted in providing reagents and equipment, which are used for analyzing blood samples to confirm dengue, to EDCD.
She also revealed that EDCD will seek necessary help from security forces to control the disease.
“We will write a formal letter to Nepal Army, Nepal Police and Armed Police Force seeking help,” she said adding EDCD itself will apply necessary measures first to control disease.
Last year EDCD had sought army´s help for ´fogging´ pesticide in Chitwan and Butwal. The EDCD had also taken fresh blood from security personnel after hospitals in Chitwan treating dengue patients faced blood shortage.
“Last year we took blood from police working at Ratnanagar police station after the hospitals in Chitwan,” Purusotam Gautam, medical entomologist at EDCD said.
Gautam added that EDCD will write to security forces for blood assistance. A dengue patient with hemorrhagic fever requires over six pints of blood daily in the initial phase of treatment.
Gautam said security forces can contribute required amount of blood immediately.
“Security forces are well aware about the disease and they are willing to extend support,” he said, “Last year, some doctors too contracted dengue but we did not find dengue infection in security personnel,” Gautam said.
He, however, added that blood will not be collected from security personnel posted in the endemic region.
EDCD has also bought a platelet machine for the Butwal blood bank. Due to the lack of platelet machine, hospitals in Butwal had referred patients to Kathmandu last year.
“The machine will reach Butwal blood bank within a week. We purchased it through WHO assistance,” Dr Saroj said.
The EDCD is also planning to organize a large scale workshop in Tarai districts for raising awareness.
Dengue mosquito bites people during daytime and breeds in clean water. The rain water gathered in barrels, drums, jars, pots, buckets, flower vases, tanks and bottles can be the right place for dengue mosquito to breed.
This year, the EDCD has not recorded any dengue case so far.
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