No poll duty for docs battling H1N1

State Directorate of Health Services, BMC write to district collectors not to burden health officers battling h1n1 with election duties

State Directorate of Health Services, BMC write to district collectors not to burden health officers battling H1N1 with election duties

The Directorate of Health Services (DHS) does not want its doctors, who are grappling with the swine flu situation, to perform election duty at Majiwada in Thane during the Assembly polls.

This, the DHS says, could hamper the state's efforts to contain the global pandemic.
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A letter that asks for the five doctors to be excused from election duty was despatched to AL Jarhad, the Thane district collector on Thursday.

Stick To Your Job: The Directorate of Health Services and BMC believe doctors on election duty could hamper efforts to contain spread of swine flu.

The BMC too has written to AI Kundan, the collector, Mumbai city, asking him to reconsider his decision to deploy health officers on election duty.

A DHS official said, "These doctors are manning the swine flu helpline, which is an important aspect of our effort to contain the spread of the H1N1 virus.

We hope the collector reconsiders the decision to deploy doctors on election duty."

Helping hand

Manisha Mhaiskar, additional municipal commissioner of the BMC, said, "If the administration falls short of people, we are ready to lend a helping hand.

We also have a control number 108 that can be used if the DHS wants to."

Not a good idea

Dr Jairaj Thanekar, executive health officer, BMC, agreed that deploying health officers on election duty was not a good idea.

"I am worried because the health officers are needed to deal with diseases like malaria, dengue that have to be monitored at least till the end of the monsoon.

The weather is changing and it has become necessary to step up anti-malarial activities."

BMC officials pointed out that during the last Lok Sabha elections, the BMC's insecticide officers were on election duty. This had adversely affected the fogging operations in the city.

Poll Directive

In a unique, but bizarre directive, Mumbai collectors (city and suburbs) have told the RTO to stop, seize and deliver all state government vehicles to the returning officers in 10 constituencies in the city and suburbs.

The vehicles will be used during election duty for the upcoming Assembly elections on October 13.

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