'Keep adequate beds ready in dists to combat dengue'
KOLKATA: With dengue cases on the rise in various pockets, the Health department has directed the affected districts to keep adequate arrangements of beds in the hospitals to combat the situation if there is a further jump in infected cases.
With two days to go for Puja, the chief medical officer of health in various districts have been urged to ensure that an anti-dengue drive is carried out in and around the puja pandals that are situated in the affected areas. Health experts have pointed out that back-to-back cyclonic circulation and rains triggered by it may further complicate the dengue situation in Bengal.
A rainy spell is likely to hit Kolkata and other parts of coastal Bengal from October 2 to 5. District health officials have been asked to ensure that there is no accumulated rain water in and around puja pandals. According to Health department's data, more than 850 people have been infected with dengue in North 24-Parganas in the current week so far. Howrah registered over 516 new patients in the current week followed by Murshidabad 505, Hooghly around 500, Darjeeling over 260 and Jalpaiguri 214. Mosquito nets and insecticides are being distributed in large amounts in 12 affected blocks of North 24-Parganas and South 24-Parganas, besides Kolkata. Among the affected, many are children as well. Around 22 dengue deaths have been reported in the state so far. State health department has not, however, given any official confirmation of these deaths.
Health department data reveals that around 1,375 new cases were detected across the state on Tuesday while on Monday, 840 fresh cases were found. Daily infected figure stood at 635 on Sunday and 324 on Saturday. State Health department has sent community health officers in the affected pockets to monitor the surveillance at ground level and report the situation to the state government. CMoHs in all the concerned districts have been asked to provide dengue testing kits to the local municipalities so that ELISA tests can be performed without a delay.
