Health Minister leads house-to-house dengue larvae checking in Khanna

Khanna (Ludhiana), July 25, 2025: As a part of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s initiative ‘Har Shukarvar Dengue Te Var’, Health and Family Welfare Minister, Dr. Balbir Singh on Friday conducted house to house inspections to check larvae in various parts of Khanna. 
The Minister Dr. Singh actively engaged with residents, raising awareness about dengue prevention, larvae identification, symptom recognition, and the need to eliminate stagnant water sources. He urged the community to prevent mosquito breeding by ensuring water does not collect in containers, rooftops, or courtyards. He stated that the health department is fully committed to curbing dengue’s spread, emphasizing that the campaign’s primary goal is to protect lives from this potentially fatal disease. He called on residents to maintain cleanliness, prevent water stagnation, and ensure proper drainage in their surroundings.
Later in media interaction, Singh highlighted the success of last year’s campaign, which achieved a 50% reduction in dengue cases. Previously supported by 1,200 breeding checkers, the initiative now benefits from 20,000 trained ASHA workers and 31,000 nursing students who inspect homes and contribute to the campaign as part of their training. Additionally, Punjab’s schools are integrating dengue awareness into their curriculum, with teachers being trained to identify and eliminate larvae. These teachers will guide students to inspect their homes, with participation linked to internal assessment marks, fostering community involvement.
The Minister also directed officials to establish ward-wise or mohalla-wise health committees to strengthen localized efforts. He also underscored the role of Punjab’s 881 Aam Aadmi Clinics, which now provide dengue testing as part of an expanded panel of 47 diagnostic tests up from 38, including screenings for pregnancy and jaundice. The clinics’ medicine offerings have doubled from 80 to 160, ensuring broader access to healthcare. Dr. Singh noted that, based on public feedback, the government is committed to delivering medicines to every household. To date, 1.3 crores of Punjab’s 3.7 crores residents have accessed medicines through these clinics.

Addressing infrastructure challenges, he also criticized previous governments for approving thousands of colonies without proper road planning or basic amenities, leading to issues like water stagnation. He stated that action has been taken against such colonies and colonizers. 
On the occasion, Sub-Divisional Magistrate Dr. Baljinder Singh Dhillon, Civil Surgeon Ludhiana Dr. Ramandeep Kaur, Senior Medical Officer Dr. Maninder Singh Bhasin, Executive Officer Charanjit Singh, and other officials and staff and others were also present.