Ponda: After suspected dengue cases were reported in Bethora village and Ponda municipality’s Khadapabandh ward, Curti panchayat on the outskirts of Ponda town is now emerging as the latest hotspot, with multiple fresh cases reported.Around 20 suspected dengue cases were reported this week from Zingdimol, Haveli, the electricity department area, Nagzar, Bablya Khali and Nagamasjid in Curti panchayat, sources said.Ponda sanitary inspector Manoj Naik said officials cleared stagnant water, removed items causing water accumulation and carried out fogging in the affected areas.Dr Kalpana Mahatme, health officer in charge of the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme, advised residents to change the water in flower pots once a week and empty receptacles that collect water from air conditioners to prevent mosquito breeding.
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The dengue outbreak in Ponda taluka first came to light in mid-May after 10 suspected cases were reported from five wards of Bethora-Nirankal-Conxem-Codar.While health authorities blamed improper water storage by residents for the outbreak, villagers attributed it to irregular water supply.Dattagad, Vaidyanagar, Padal and Ashewada in Bethora reported two suspected cases each, while Dhumemal and Bethora reported one case each.Dr Mahatme said almost all houses with suspected dengue cases had improper water storage, creating breeding grounds for mosquitoes.After Bethora, several suspected dengue cases were reported from Khadapabandh ward. Although suspected cases surfaced there in May, residents alleged that authorities did not respond promptly. Action intensified after the death of Vibha Tiwari, a woman from Pratapgarh in Uttar Pradesh, on the night of May 24 at Goa Medical College and Hospital, Bambolim.Tiwari, who was staying with her family in Khadapabandh, was referred to Goa Medical College and Hospital from Ponda sub-district hospital after her condition deteriorated.Her death came to light after a group of Ponda councillors met the taluka health officer, urging her to step up awareness drives in Khadapabandh and assuring the health department of their support.
