Hanover launches pre-emptive strike against dengue

WESTERN BUREAU:

Although not listed as a high-risk parish for the Aedes aegypti mosquito-transmitted dengue fever, the Hanover Health Department (HHD) is appealing for assistance from both the private and public sectors to battle the vector and the disease.

At a recent meeting of the Hanover Municipal Corporation (HMC), Dr Kaushal Singh, the medical officer of health (MOH) for Hanover, explained that the health department needed more transportation and equipment to maintain the gains made over the last year.

"We need to enhance our efforts, otherwise we will lose all the gains up to now, and so we need to secure help from all sectors," explained Singh.

Any help welcome

Dawn Harvey, parish manager for the Hanover Health Services in the HHD, said health services in the parish need the assistance.

"The parish is embarking on a programme to increase what we have been doing for several months now, which is why we have some good results, so we do not want to diminish that," said Harvey.

He further pointed out that the HHD would be increasing its staff complement as one aspect of the programme. However, she said there was need for assistance in other areas to make the workers more visible in the communities.

"There are a couple of things that will help us to be more visible in the communities, and one of those is transportation, so we are seeking some help in terms of vehicles that could be made available to us so that we can transport our workers," said Harvey. "We can have some dialogue about that; also, if there is any other way that persons would like to help us in terms of purchasing some equipment."

Harvey said that with more vehicles, fogging could be done in more than one area at a time.