New Delhi: In response to the recent surge in dengue cases in the national Capital, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal led a high-level review meeting on Friday to address the situation and devise effective preventive measures.
With 187 reported cases of dengue till July 22, the situation has raised concerns among authorities.
The meeting involved senior officials, Health minister Saurabh Bharadwaj, and Mayor Shelly Oberoi to strategise effective preventive measures against the disease.
During the meeting, Kejriwal emphasised the importance of public awareness and directed all hospitals to reserve beds for dengue patients and ensure sufficient stocks of essential medicines.
“To facilitate direct communication with doctors for vector-borne diseases, a helpline number 1031 will be launched next week. The government has raised the fine for mosquito breeding to Rs 1,000 for residential establishments and Rs 5,000 for commercial establishments,” he announced.
“In light of the early arrival of the monsoon, the prevalence of vector-borne diseases such as dengue, malaria, and chikungunya has surged in July instead of the usual months of August and September,” Bharadwaj had said addressing a press conference.
He also explained the genetic composition of the virus detected in Delhi. “Genome sequencing of 20 dengue-positive samples showed 19 of them had strain type-2, which is considered severe,” he said.
However, he assured that the prevalence of a single strain suggested that the situation could be controlled. Despite this, caution is advised, particularly for school-going children who may be more vulnerable. To ensure preventive measures, the Education Directorate will enforce a strict dress code in schools, with all students required to wear full-sleeve shirts and pants.
The government has also mandated a dengue awareness homework assignment for students in all Delhi schools, encouraging them to check their homes for stagnant water. This initiative aims to instil a sense of responsibility and awareness among the younger population. Furthermore, the hospitals have been declared “zero-tolerance zones” for mosquito breeding, and chemists have been advised not to sell blood-thinning medications like aspirin, disprin, or ibuprofen for fever. Paracetamol is recommended as a safer option for fever relief.
In addition, the government plans to create widespread awareness by involving various agencies. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation will make announcements about dengue prevention, and the Delhi Police will raise awareness through their public address systems in markets and other public spaces.
The Health minister urged people to remain cautious and stressed the significance of public cooperation in preventing mosquito breeding. The government has also requested the media to actively participate in spreading awareness to reduce positive cases significantly.
Shelly Oberoi also warned about the potential rise in dengue and malaria cases due to recent flooding in several areas of the city. She emphasised the importance of checking mosquito breeding and clearing silt and sludge left by the floods.
Speaking on the dengue outbreak, an official from Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Hospital stated, “The dengue cases have already started to come up; we are waiting for the guidelines from the Delhi Government which would come in 2-3 days. All the measures and precautions will be taken care of. We also urge people to take precautions.”