SAS Nagar, July 4: Punjab Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Balbir Singh today led an awareness drive under the state-level campaign “Har Friday Dengue Te Vaar” at Barmajra village near Mohali. As part of the initiative, the Minister conducted door-to-door visits to educate residents about preventive measures against dengue fever and the importance of eliminating mosquito breeding sites.
Addressing the villagers, Dr Balbir Singh appealed to the Village Health Committees to take active responsibility in protecting communities from dengue, Chikungunya and malaria. He emphasised that the Aedes mosquito that spreads dengue breeds in clean stagnant water and draining such water once a week can effectively stop its life cycle.
He urged residents to regularly clean and empty water containers such as coolers, refrigerator trays and flower pots to prevent mosquito breeding, especially every Friday. He said, “If stagnant clean water is emptied once a week in every household, we can prevent the spread of dengue not only in our homes but also in our communities.”
The Minister informed that Village Health Committees, which comprise Panchayat members, school teachers, Anganwadi workers and ASHA workers, are playing a vital role in spreading awareness. He also informed that they visit different villages every Friday to motivate people to participate in the campaign.
Before chairing a meeting with Village Health Committee at Government School Barmajra, Dr. Balbir Singh launched the state-level campaign, “Har Friday, Village Health Committees Dengue Te Vaar Karenge” and released awareness posters for public dissemination.
While interacting with school students, the Minister stressed on the importance of personal hygiene and nutrition. He advised the students to wash hands before eating, maintain dental and eye hygiene and eat nutritious food. He also directed the school staff to be vigilant towards the health of the students.
He encouraged them to inform the health teams during regular check-ups if any child shows symptoms of illness. Dr Balbir Singh encouraged the schools to plant native and fruit trees, to inculcate a love for nature among students and provide them with healthy, home-grown fruits.
Prominent persons present included Director Health & Family Welfare Dr Hitinder Kaur, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Rural Development) Sonam Choudhary, SDM Mohali Damandeep Kaur, Civil Surgeon Dr Sangeeta Jain, State Nodal Officer Dr Arshdeep Kaur, District Epidemiologist Dr Anamika.