Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) | Amid concerns over the spread of communicable diseases, the Keralam government has decided to form coordination committees headed by district collectors to strengthen prevention measures at the local level.

State Health Minister K Muraleedharan directed the Health Department Principal Secretary to take necessary steps in this regard.

The decision was taken during a communicable disease review meeting chaired by the minister on Monday, according to a statement.

The committees will focus on preventing diseases such as dengue and chikungunya, while ward-level committees comprising councillors or panchayat members, representatives of residents' associations and concerned health workers will also be formed.

Dengue hotspots will be identified and mosquito-control measures, including source reduction, will be intensified, the Minister said.

In view of intermittent rains and the possibility of water stagnation leading to mosquito breeding, "Dry Day" activities will be observed on Fridays at educational institutions, Saturdays at workplaces and Sundays at homes by destroying potential mosquito-breeding sources.

An action plan for the Dry Day campaign will be prepared in consultation with the Local Self-Government Department minister, Muraleedharan said.

The meeting also directed that preventive measures be intensified in accordance with the epidemic calendar and fever clinics in affected areas be strengthened. New fever clinics will also be started wherever necessary.

The minister said meetings of district medical officers and district programme managers would be convened to review daily activities at the grassroots level in the coming days.

Health Department Principal Secretary Dr Sharmila Mary Joseph, Health Department High Power Committee Chairman Dr S S Lal and Health Department Director Dr V Meenakshi, among others, attended the meeting.