Chairman of Region Six, David Armogan yesterday said that the dengue situation in East Berbice-Corentyne is still not under control as cases of the mosquito-borne virus continue to climb.
Armogan in an interview with Stabroek News stated that there is an increase in the numbers recorded in the region. He said, “The dengue situation is still not under control because we are still having many cases in the region as you know every month there is an increase and last month again it has increased.”
Armogan noted that despite fogging operations across the region, the numbers are still climbing “so I don’t know if it’s not sufficient but we will continue to do fogging so that we can control these mosquitoes.”
He added, “Quite a number of people are sick and they are not even going to have their test done for dengue as well and a lot of them using aspirin and other medications that can cause bleeding and that can exacerbate the situation because if you have dengue with bleeding and you use aspirin it makes the situation worse.”
The Chairman advised that residents should take symptoms in hand and have the necessary testing done so that they can be administered proper treatment. “Once you feel sick and you feel that you are having fever and having pains and so go and have a test done for dengue”, he urged.
Meanwhile, the Regional Information Officer yesterday relayed that he was unable to get on to the Regional Health Officer, Dr. Vishalya Sharma to ascertain the updated dengue statistics and provide same to the media as is done monthly.
In June, Armogan had said that the number of the mosquito-borne infections has been increasing every month since January. According to him then, in January there were 80 cases recorded, February 143, March 204, April 329 and May 474 cases “which means that there is a serious increase in the number of cases recorded.”
Stabroek News was told that for the month of May the affected communities were Adelphi, East Canje Berbice; Sandvoort, West Canje Berbice; Goed Bananen Land, East Canje Berbice; Sisters Village, East Bank Berbice; Heathburn Village, East Bank Berbice; Sheet Anchor, East Canje Berbice; Vryman’s Erven, New Amsterdam; Sheet Anchor, East Canje Berbice and Smythfield, New Amsterdam.
