Kerala govt to hold mass cleanliness drive, all-party meet

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala government on Wednesday announced a series of measures, including operation of mobile clinics and a mass cleanliness drive, to meet the situation following the spread of various types of fevers which have claimed over 100 lives so far.

Asking people not to panic, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan told reporters here that efforts to check the spread of fevers will be strengthened and private doctors would also be roped in to attend to the cases.

He also said an all-party meeting would be held on June 23 to discuss issues connected with the spread of fever cases.

According to Health Department sources here, more than 100 people including women and children, have succumbed to various types of fevers like H1N1, leptospirosis and dengue from January till date in the state.

Vijayan said 'mobile clinics' would be opened in densely populated areas and unused buildings in hospitals would be converted as 'fever wards' to meet the situation. 

A three-day mass cleanliness drive, with participation of ministers, MLAs, political leaders, socio-cultural activists, NGOs, government staff, students, police, neighbourhood groups and general public, would be held across the state from June 27, he said.

"There is no need for people to be panic. The further spread of fever can be contained through the mass cleanliness drive," he said.

Under the drive, garbage dumped in public places and office premises would be removed with the support of people, he said.

"The fever-affected places will be divided as high-risk, moderate-risk and lower-risk areas according to the intensity and the spread of the disease," he said adding area-specific programmes would be evolved to contain further spread. Besides government doctors, the services of doctors in the private sector and that of PG medical students would also be utilised to meet the situation, the chief minister added.