Mangaluru : Following the direction of Health and Family Welfare Minister U.T. Khader, private medical colleges have deputed postgraduate medical students in primary health centres for attending cases related to vector-borne diseases. Mr. Khader’s gave the direction following reports of vacancy of medical officers in PHCs in the district.

District Health Officer in-charge Sikandar Pasha said here on Saturday that one postgraduate student each had been posted at Kaniyur, Indabettu, Atyadka, Naravi and Dharmastala PHCs in Belthangady taluk; Kadaba and Partady PHCs in Puttur taulk; Bellare and Guttigaru PHCs in Sullia; and at two PHCs in Bantwal taluk. The post of medical officers has been vacant in these PHCs for weeks.

Dr. Pasha said that an additional postgraduate student has been posted at Kadaba PHC that had been attending to an average of 150 fever cases a day. He said that arrangements were in place to take patients in ambulances under the Arogya Kavacha scheme from PHCs that did not have blood testing facility to the nearby taluk hospital.

They had arranged three vehicles in rural areas with personnel for collection of blood smears and for undertaking preventive measures, he said.

Earlier, N. Rajkumar, the newly appointed Nodal Officer of Health and Family Welfare Department for department’s programmes in Dakshina Kannada, reviewed progress in combating malaria, dengue and other vector-borne diseases in the district.

Dr. Rajkumar said that as part of the ongoing week-long special cleanliness campaign, which commenced on June 16, cleaning would be undertaken in government offices on Sunday. Apart from removing debris, the staff would be made aware of the importance of maintaining cleanliness during the monsoon season.