Mangalagiri: With the monsoon season just days away, Health Minister Y Satya Kumar Yadav has directed the officials to work effectively and in coordination with all relevant departments to prevent seasonal diseases. Recognising that poor sanitation, contaminated water, and mosquito bites impact people’s quality of life and productivity, the Minister urged all necessary measures to control these illnesses in the upcoming rainy season.

On Friday evening, the Minister conducted a two-and-a-half-hour review meeting with senior officials at the APICC building in Mangalagiri, discussing monsoon-related diseases and the recent emergence of COVID-19 infections in some areas.

Minister Satya Kumar Yadav emphasised the use of modern technology, including drones and the ‘Musketeer’ app, for robust measures against mosquito proliferation during and after the monsoon.

He stated that this approach could effectively curb diseases. Spraying mosquito-repellent chemicals via drones in highly mosquito-prone areas, such as Alluri Sitarama Raju and Parvathipuram Manyam districts, would yield positive results. He also recommended implementing the ‘Musketeer’ app to identify mosquito density.

The Minister urged district and field-level officials to coordinate with respective departments to achieve good results in curbing diseases caused by poor sanitation, water pollution, water stagnation, drainage system failures, and open defecation. He directed officials to identify “hot spots” – areas with high prevalence of these issues based on past years’ data – and to ensure appropriate preventive measures are taken. He also stressed the importance of ensuring the availability of bleaching powder and chlorine tablets as needed.