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Govt to reform Mosquito Control Office


Bangladeshpost
Published : 15 Oct 2019 08:50 PM | Updated : 07 Sep 2020 10:58 PM

The government has formed a committee for reorganising the Dhaka Mosquito Control Office (DMCO) to utilise its capacities fully to eliminate mosquitoes in the city, reports BSS.

“The government has formed a committee to reorganise the DMCO and determine its responsibilities as dengue prevalence increased alarmingly this year. The next steps will be taken soon after receiving the report of the committee,” Local Government Division (LGD) Secretary Helal Udding Ahmed told BSS.

According to the existing law, all city corporations and municipalities are responsible for eradicating mosquitoes, he said, adding that the Mosquito Control Department (MCD), which was later renamed as DMCO, was established centrally to eliminate malaria as then there was no many institutions under the LGD. “Many stakeholders, including finance and LGRD ministries, are linked with DMCO. Many issues, including its size, controlling authority, organogram and payment of salaries and allowances, are related with its reformation,” Helal said.
Noting that the government has planned to set up a modern laboratory to eradicate mosquitoes, the official said Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) has already started working to set up a lab like that in Kolkata.

The then health minister Habibullah Bahar established the MCD in 1948 with 417 manpower under a mosquito control scheme for controlling malaria. It is now working under the two city corporations — Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) and Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC).

Officials concerned, however, think that the DMCO can play a vital role in eliminating mosquitoes if it is modernised with the latest equipments, its manpower is increased and it is given the authority of buying medicines. DMCO Assistant Director ANM Fayzul Haque said that the then MCD played a vital role in eradicating mosquitoes in the city after its establishment in 1948. A total of 417 people were appointed under the mosquito control scheme, he said, adding that later 338 officials were attached to the Health Ministry.

The department was attached to the Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Ministry in 1980. In 1982, the Enam committee reorganised the department by creating 396 posts in the office and the department was renamed as Dhaka Mosquito Control Office (DMCO). The officials were attached to the Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) at that time, but their salaries and allowances still come from LGD.

The officials of the DMCO were attached to DSCC and DNCC in 2011 when the DCC was divided into two city corporations, Fayzul said, adding that now a total of 279 officials, including 231 crews, 32 supervisors and six Insect Collectors (ICs), of the institution are working under the two city corporations.

Seeking anonymity, another official of the DMCO said the department was most effective till 1980, but it lost its importance after it came under the Dhaka City Corporation. “We are assigned for mosquito killing. But we have no power (authority). As per the city corporations’ instruction, we just store insecticides and distribute those to different zones under the DSCC and DNCC. That means the building is now being used as a warehouse,” he added. There was a research laboratory in the MCD till 1980, but it is now abandoned, he said.