within a month of the onset of monsoon, large parts of India are under the weather. Twelve states have reported outbreaks of various diseases and close to 400 people have died. The Union ministry of health and family welfare's (mohfw) prescription for arresting this alarming trend is yet another centralised disease-monitoring programme, which will be implemented from July-end onwards. The need for such a scheme was felt because of the respective state governments' ineptitude to control the sudden surge in the incidences, say ministry officials.

To be sure, in West Bengal