Spotted mosquito breeding? Alert officials on WhatsApp

The Rajasthan health department will take to social media to seek people’s support for controlling mosquito breeding, a senior official said.

The department will soon launch a WhatsApp group in which people can lodge complaints about mosquito breeding on stagnant water.

“Cooperation of people is a must for the success of any programme. To ensure participation of residents of Jaipur, we will start a WhatsAppp group in which people can send us photos of mosquito breeding on accumulated water,” said Dr Ravi Prakash Mathur, additional director, rural health.

“Soon area-wise WhatsApp numbers will be published in local dailies, so that people can send the photos with address; the department will immediately start anti-larval activities in that area.”

With the onset of monsoon, the department has geared up to control seasonal diseases. Official data shows that from January to July 5 this year, the state has reported 908 malaria cases, 1808 dengue cases including three deaths, 130 chikungunya cases, and 1370 swine flu cases including 134 deaths.

“This initiative of receiving complaints about mosquito breeding on social media will initially be started in Jaipur. After seeing the response, it might be extended to other parts of the state,” Mathur said. “With people’s participation and cooperation, seasonal diseases can be controlled to a great extent.”

Rapid response teams (RRTs), he said, have been formed at the district level, so that they can move to places that report outbreak of any disease during the rainy season.

At a recent review meeting, it was decided to task block chief medical officers, medical officers and other staff with disease surveillance and control.

“On finding patients of dengue, malaria, chikungunya, or swine flu, the teams are sent to the affected place to check breeding of mosquitoes and survey nearby houses. Even cross-verification is done about the conducted activities,” Mathur said.