Hyderabad: Health Minister Damodar Raja Narasimha on Monday reviewed the performance of government hospitals and the control of seasonal diseases at the Secretariat. Senior Health Department officials also attended the meeting.
Health Secretary Dr Christina Z. Chongthu and Director of Public Health Dr Ravindra Naik briefed the minister on disease trends. They said dengue, malaria, and typhoid cases dropped sharply this year compared with the previous two years.
From January to September last year, officials reported 361 chikungunya cases. During the same period this year, only 249 cases occurred. Likewise, malaria cases fell from 226 to 209. Typhoid infections dropped from 10,149 to 4,600. Moreover, dengue cases decreased by nearly 2,900 compared with last year. The Health Department, therefore, submitted a detailed report to the minister.
Telangana sees steady fall in seasonal diseases, says minister
After the review, Minister Raja Narasimha said the decline in seasonal diseases across Telangana was encouraging. However, he noted that some districts, including Greater Hyderabad and a few others, recorded a slight increase. He therefore directed officials to intensify anti-larval operations in those areas.
The minister also urged doctors and health staff in rain-hit districts to remain alert. He pointed out that diseases could spread after rainfall ends and hence advised preventive action in advance. Additionally, he instructed officials to run awareness campaigns on weather-related illnesses and necessary precautions.
Furthermore, Raja Narasimha asked field health teams to conduct door-to-door surveys. He told them to educate families on hygiene and mosquito control. Later, he directed senior officials to visit rain-affected districts and supervise sanitation drives.
Finally, the minister appealed to citizens to keep their surroundings clean and prevent water stagnation. He also advised people suffering from seasonal illnesses to visit government hospitals, which, he said, have all essential facilities available.
