The health department has launched a campaign to raise awareness about the rise in dengue and other vector-borne diseases. ASHA workers are conducting door-to-door visits across the Belgaum district, which has a total of 18 lakh households – 14 lakh in rural and 4 lakh in urban areas. The goal is to cover all these households within the coming two weeks.
During a Karnataka Development Programme (KDP) meeting at Suvarna Vidhana Soudha (SVS) on Friday, District Health Officer (DHO) Dr. Mahesh Koni provided details. District Minister Satish Jarkiholi chaired the meeting, where Dr. Koni mentioned that the health department is collaborating with NGOs to reach urban residents. Regarding dengue, Dr. Koni reported 209 confirmed cases in the district, with higher incidences in Belgaum, Khanapur, Ramdurg, and Bailhongal taluks.
Currently, there are 17 active cases, including 10 in Belgaum. District Commissioner Mohammad Roshan emphasized efforts to enhance dengue prevention, testing, and treatment facilities. Extensive fogging and larvicide measures are underway to curb mosquito breeding, with dedicated beds allocated for dengue patients in all government hospitals.
Minister Satish Jarkiholi instructed officials to prepare for the inauguration of a newly constructed mother and child care hospital in Chikodi on August 15. The building has been ready for about a year, but the inauguration was delayed due to technical issues with installing a lift.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by MP Priyanka Jarkiholi, Rajya Sabha member Iranna Kadadi, Kagawad MLA Raju Kage, Zilla Panchayat CEO Rahul Shinde, along with MLAs Babasaheb Patil, Mahantesh Koujalagi, Vitthal Halagekar, Asif Sait, Duryodhan Aihole, and MLCs Nagaraj Yadav, Channaraj Hattiholi, and Sabanna Talawar.
