With monsoon-related communicable diseases on the rise in the district, the Health department and the civic authorities have intensified precautionary sanitation measures to curb their spread.

At a recent meeting involving the Kochi Corporation, Health department, and other stakeholders, it was decided to hold medical camps, supply medicines, and conduct joint inspections of eateries, focussing on roadside shacks to prevent the spread of communicable diseases.

The recent outbreak of water-borne communicable diseases in three divisions — 49, 50, and 51 — of the Corporation prompted the authorities to launch urgent measures to check their spread.

Corporation health standing committee chairperson Seena Gokulan said that the recent spike in dengue cases in a ward in the city had prompted the civic body to launch source reduction measures. “As several people fell sick after consuming contaminated water, frequent water quality tests are being carried out every three days in the affected areas. We have launched source reduction measures so that dengue outbreaks do not occur. We are also planning to hold medical camps to distribute preventive medicines,” she said.

Corporation health officer Krishnakumar G. said mosquito control measures, such as fogging and spraying in areas with high mosquito density, had been stepped up. The activities are carried out whenever the rains subside, he said.

“In an effort to control water-borne diseases such as Hepatitis A, inspections will be held at food outlets, with a special focus on wayside eateries. These diseases spread through the use of contaminated water. To prevent the spread of diseases such as leptospirosis, medicines have been distributed to the high risk groups,” said Mr. Krishnakumar.

He added dengue could be controlled only with the cooperation of the public. “We have issued instructions to conduct cleaning drives and eliminate household mosquito breeding sites,” Mr. Krishnakumar said.