State medical and health director general Dr Ramesh Chandra deplored the poor maintenance of sanitation in villages and municipalities and felt the need to sensitise the general public on cleanliness of environs to keep diseases at bay. The director general chaired a regional task force meeting of officials from the medical and health and other connected departments in both East and West Godavari and Krishna districts here on Tuesday. Speaking on the sidelines of the meet, the director general felt the need for creation of awareness on health and hygiene among the public. He also advised panchayat raj, municipal and other connected department authorities to clear drains on a regular basis and avoid stagnation of water as they become breeding grounds for mosquitoes, resulting in outbreak of malaria and other vector borne diseases. He said that of the total staff strength of 3,616 in the medical and health department in the state, 1,287 vacancies of medical officers were identified, and in the first phase of recruitment, orders were issued to 1,100 MOs. Dr Ramesh Chandra assured efforts to fill the remaining vacancies of doctors soon. He also said that efforts were on to construct buildings for 171 primary health centres in the state and added that they were going to upgrade medical equipment and amenities at PHCs to provide better health care to people. Director general Dr Ramesh Chandra gave tips on how to avoid getting affected with heat stroke as day temperatures are soaring day by day in the state. He advised people not to venture out in the scorching heat and if they were forced to do so, to use umbrellas or caps. People were also advised to avoid wearing thick garments and drink more liquids. He directed district medical and health officers to take up community sensitisation on contamination of water and even advised the public to purchase chloroscopes which cost nearly Rs 200 to measure the chlorine content in the water.