Parvathipuram: The Parvathipuram Manyam district has taken a significant step in malaria control using advanced technology.

District Medical and Health Officer (DMHO) Dr S Bhaskar Rao said that. for the first time, drone-assisted anti-mosquito spraying was carried out in the remote tribal village of Gowduguda on Tuesday as part of the Anti-Larval Operation (ALO).

The initiative was supervised by the DMHO along with programme officers. Large stagnant water bodies in and around the village were targeted during the spraying operation.

A mixture of mosquito larvicide (Temephos) was loaded into drones and sprayed effectively over the breeding grounds to eliminate mosquito larvae.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Bhaskar Rao highlighted that drone technology enables large-scale mosquito control measures in a shorter time. He stated that this initiative was undertaken in response to earlier instructions from the District Collector. He further explained that while drone spraying would be taken up at larger mosquito breeding sites, traditional ALO and dry day methods will continue for smaller water accumulations.

Dr. Bhaskar Rao also interacted with local villagers to collect health-related information and instructed medical staff to ensure the availability of fever diagnostic tests and medicines in the region.

He later inspected the tribal welfare residential school in Tikkabai, reviewing students’ health status and the condition of the hostel. He checked whether spraying had been properly carried out in the rooms and instructed staff to maintain an accurate Sick Register for students.

District Malaria Officer Y Mani, Dr T Jaganmohan Rao, DLATO Dr Vinod, Medical Officer Dr Abhilash, Malaria Consultant Ramachandra and other medical staff have attended the programme.