{"id":36091,"date":"2026-09-05T15:09:46","date_gmt":"2026-09-05T09:39:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/petrolnews.in\/live\/bengal-minister-urges-uniform-changes-to-curb-dengue\/"},"modified":"2026-09-05T15:09:46","modified_gmt":"2026-09-05T09:39:46","slug":"bengal-minister-urges-uniform-changes-to-curb-dengue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/petrolnews.in\/live\/bengal-minister-urges-uniform-changes-to-curb-dengue\/","title":{"rendered":"Bengal minister urges uniform changes to curb dengue"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div xmlns:default=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" id=\"\">\n<div class=\"f3e032cb\"><picture class=\"c62bd949\" style=\"visibility:visible\"><source media=\"(max-width: 768px)\" type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.bhaskarassets.com\/webp\/thumb\/360x0\/web2images\/1884\/2026\/09\/05\/police-launch-helpline-for-exam-support-2026-09-05_1788600596.png\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.bhaskarassets.com\/webp\/thumb\/512x0\/web2images\/1884\/2026\/09\/05\/police-launch-helpline-for-exam-support-2026-09-05_1788600596.png\"\/><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"720\" height=\"540\" src=\"https:\/\/images.bhaskarassets.com\/web2images\/1884\/2026\/09\/05\/police-launch-helpline-for-exam-support-2026-09-05_1788600596.png\" alt=\"\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"f97587ba\"\/><\/picture><\/div>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"word-break:break-word;text-align:left;white-space:pre-line\">West Bengal Health Minister Dr Sharadwat Mukherjee has urged schools across the state to temporarily modify student uniforms during the dengue season, asking institutions to ensure that children keep their arms and legs covered to reduce exposure to mosquito bites.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size:0\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"word-break:break-word;text-align:left;white-space:pre-line\"><span class=\"e913fbaa d3886593\"><strong>Mukherjee appeals during Health Department review meeting<\/strong><\/span><strong\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"word-break:break-word;text-align:left;white-space:pre-line\">Mukherjee made the appeal during a high-level review meeting at the Health Department headquarters at Swasthya Bhavan, as the state intensifies its efforts to prevent dengue infections during the peak transmission period.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"word-break:break-word;text-align:left;white-space:pre-line\">The minister asked schools to allow students to wear full-sleeved shirts and full-length trousers for the next three months. He specifically appealed to schools to allow girls who usually wear skirts to switch to salwar suits that provide greater coverage of the legs.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size:0\"\/><span style=\"font-size:0\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"word-break:break-word;text-align:left;white-space:pre-line\"><span class=\"e913fbaa d3886593\"><strong>\u2018Please do not send girls to school wearing skirts\u2019<\/strong><\/span><strong\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"word-break:break-word;text-align:left;white-space:pre-line\">Emphasising the need for greater awareness, Mukherjee appealed to teachers, headmasters and headmistresses to make temporary changes to school uniforms during September, October and November.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"word-break:break-word;text-align:left;white-space:pre-line\"><em>\u201cWe can completely prevent dengue afterward. Awareness is required,\u201d <\/em>Mukherjee said while urging schools to cooperate with the preventive measures.<\/p>\n<div class=\"b36654ad\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"cc71687c\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bhaskarenglish.in\/assets\/images\/grey-quote.02a691c7.png\" alt=\"QuoteImage\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"word-break:break-word;white-space:pre-line;text-align:left\"><em><strong>I am sending messages to schools repeatedly. I am folding my hands and appealing to teachers, headmasters and headmistresses: for these three months, please allow full-sleeved clothing regardless of what your uniform is,<\/strong><\/em><strong\/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"e73fc018\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bhaskarenglish.in\/assets\/images\/grey-quote.02a691c7.png\" alt=\"QuoteImage\"\/><\/div>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"word-break:break-word;text-align:left;white-space:pre-line\">he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"word-break:break-word;text-align:left;white-space:pre-line\">\u201cPlease do not send girls to school wearing skirts. Allow them to wear salwar suits that cover their legs,\u201d the minister added.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"word-break:break-word;text-align:left;white-space:pre-line\"><span class=\"e913fbaa d3886593\"><strong>Minister rejects knee-high socks suggestion<\/strong><\/span><strong\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"word-break:break-word;text-align:left;white-space:pre-line\">Mukherjee also rejected a suggestion that students could wear knee-high socks as an alternative way to protect themselves from mosquito bites.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"word-break:break-word;text-align:left;white-space:pre-line\">Explaining his concerns, he said such socks may not provide adequate protection because they are thin and remain close to the skin, potentially allowing mosquitoes to bite through them.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"word-break:break-word;text-align:left;white-space:pre-line\">Instead, he urged schools to permit girls to wear salwar suits and boys to wear full-length trousers along with full-sleeved shirts during the three-month period.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"word-break:break-word;text-align:left;white-space:pre-line\"><span class=\"e913fbaa d3886593\"><strong>Government schools likely to receive guidelines<\/strong><\/span><strong\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"word-break:break-word;text-align:left;white-space:pre-line\">The West Bengal government is expected to issue an administrative circular outlining the temporary uniform guidelines for government-run schools. Private schools are also likely to be requested to adopt similar precautionary measures.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"word-break:break-word;text-align:left;white-space:pre-line\">However, the final decision on changing uniforms will remain with individual school authorities.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"word-break:break-word;text-align:left;white-space:pre-line\"><span class=\"e913fbaa d3886593\"><strong>State steps up dengue prevention measures<\/strong><\/span><strong\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"word-break:break-word;text-align:left;white-space:pre-line\">The appeal comes as West Bengal continues to witness a recurring rise in mosquito-borne diseases during and after the monsoon season.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"word-break:break-word;text-align:left;white-space:pre-line\">Health officials are focusing on preventive measures and public awareness, particularly among school-going children who may spend several hours outdoors and face increased exposure to mosquitoes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"word-break:break-word;text-align:left;white-space:pre-line\">Mukherjee stressed that prevention and awareness must complement the state&#8217;s existing dengue-control and vector-control measures. He also raised concerns about delays in seeking medical treatment, urging people to remain alert to dengue symptoms and consult doctors at the earliest signs of illness.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"word-break:break-word;text-align:left;white-space:pre-line\"><span class=\"e913fbaa d3886593\"><strong>Three-month precaution aimed at reducing cases<\/strong><\/span><strong\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"word-break:break-word;text-align:left;white-space:pre-line\">Mukherjee urged schools to cooperate with the temporary measures throughout September, October and November in an effort to reduce dengue infections among children.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"word-break:break-word;text-align:left;white-space:pre-line\"><em>\u201cI am asking all teachers and all schools for these three months: September, October, and November, let&#8217;s try and see if we can reduce dengue cases,\u201d<\/em> he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"word-break:break-word;text-align:left;white-space:pre-line\">The proposed uniform changes are aimed at reducing exposed skin among students during the peak dengue season, while the state continues its wider efforts to control mosquito breeding, spread awareness and prevent infections.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size:0\"\/><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>West Bengal Health Minister Dr Sharadwat Mukherjee has urged schools across the state to temporarily modify student uniforms during the dengue season, asking institutions to ensure that children keep their arms and legs covered to reduce exposure to mosquito bites. Mukherjee appeals during Health Department review meeting Mukherjee made the appeal during a high-level review&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":36092,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-36091","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nation"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/petrolnews.in\/live\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36091","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/petrolnews.in\/live\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/petrolnews.in\/live\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/petrolnews.in\/live\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/petrolnews.in\/live\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36091"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/petrolnews.in\/live\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36091\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/petrolnews.in\/live\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36092"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/petrolnews.in\/live\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36091"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/petrolnews.in\/live\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36091"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/petrolnews.in\/live\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36091"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}