AMRI to counter dengue outbreak in Kolkata this monsoon

Tagged #AMRIagainstDengue, the campaign uses social media to spread information related with the disease, along with doctors’ advice for prevention

AMRI Hospitals Kolkata prepares to reduce the possibility of a dengue outbreak through awareness campaigns and well-equipped hospitals. Government and private authorities are preparing for a possible dengue spate, this monsoon in Kolkata.

There have been numerous outbreaks of dengue in the last few years, across different states, which have been hard to curb.

Recently, the disease has become a lot more dangerous, killing dozens of people across India, especially in 2017. More than 2,800 cases were reported till July 31 in the last one year. Kerala reported the maximum dengue cases with 13,913, followed by Tamil Nadu with 5,474 cases. On the other hand, Karnataka reported 4,186 cases, while Andhra Pradesh reported 798 cases. West Bengal, with 571 cases and Maharashtra with 460 cases also remained in the spotlight.In Kolkata, the first dengue case was reported in the month of June itself, raising the level of fear among the locals.

To counter the diseases’ outspread, AMRI Hospitals has planned and organised a social media awareness campaign. Tagged #AMRIagainstDengue, the campaign uses social media to spread ideas and information related with the disease, along with doctors’ advice for prevention and respite.

The campaign ties up perfectly with the current predicament of mosquito-borne diseases in the region as well as the rainy season. “People often ignore the message related to precautionary measures as it’s not communicated effectively, often through traditional modes of communication. Through the hospital’s social media campaigns, we hope to gain the attention of public and create awareness – effectively curbing the spread of Dengue,” stated a doctor at AMRI Hospital Dhakuria.

Doctors at AMRI Hospitals recommend blood tests to rule out dengue when a person feels symptoms like headache, pain, nausea, vomiting or rashes, combined with fever.

In addition to the social media campaign, AMRI-Dhakuria has also planned an ‘Anti-Dengue’ month throughout August to ramp up awareness and treat dengue-afflicted patients with more efficacy. The hospital, which has its branches at Dhakuria, Salt Lake and Mukundapur, also boasts of internal medicine specialists to counter dengue-like cases.

The initiative works in tandem with the West Bengal government’s efforts to curb dengue and avoid the possibility of an outbreak in the state.

According to reports, World Health Organization (WHO), reports, around 50 to 100 million people get affected by the disease each year. The WHO records more than 20,000 deaths occur every year in nearly 100 countries, making dengue one of the deadliest diseases across the world. Fortunately, for Kolkata, AMRI Hospitals seems to have Kolkata’s health covered.