Schools battle dengue with pointers for kids' parents and workshops

Taking the issue of increasing number of dengue cases in the city very seriously, city schools are devising various ways to create awareness among children and also parents to practice safety. While Podar Jumbo Kids have come out with ten-point chart for parents on ''Lets defend our kids against dengue'', other schools are holding workshop with the medical experts for schoolkids on what precautions to take to prevent oneself from dengue.

The points highlighted by the Podar Jumbo Kid for parents to keep their children safe are information about the kind of mosquito causes dengue, to keep one's room, home, building and school mosquito free, not to let water stagnate in potted plants, to apply mosquito repellent lotion while taking kids to the park or outdoor in the evening, and if a child's fever is above 99 degree then to consult a doctor immediately.

Swati Popat Vats, president, Podar education network, said, "We also fumigated our school surroundings. Then we made sure that there is no dumping of garbage anywhere in the vicinity. This, as well as the pointers, are for the safety of the children and also for parents to know about the precaution one needs to take to prevent dengue."

Echoing the sentiments of Vats, Prashant Redij, spokesperson, Maharashtra principals' association, said, "Like last year, this year also we will hold a workshop of medical experts from hospitals with our school children on how to prevent dengue. We tell them in school that they should not store water at home and keep it open for mosquitoes to breed. Our children come from lower middle class whose parents are out for work and child is at home whole day. So it is important to create awareness among children."