Dengue situation presently ‘unsatisfactory’, says Mayor

kolkata: Mayor of Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) Firhad Hakim on Friday said that the civic body has ramped up its dengue surveillance drive while saying the situation is presently ‘unsatisfactory’.

Addressing a press conference, Hakim said that though the number of dengue affected in Kolkata is less compared to other cities, the situation continues to be ‘unsatisfactory’. He said every year the cases see a spurt after monsoon. “This year too there may be an increase in cases post September,” he remarked.

Hakim said that the civic body’s vector control team and the rapid action team have ramped up the dengue drive but citizens need to be more aware. Citing an example, he said the condition at Medical College Hospital is worrying.

“We have found cups, containers and coconut shells in the back alley of the hospital. No disposal was done. Rainwater gets collected inside these materials creating a breeding ground for dengue mosquitoes,” he said. Hakim said putting the blame solely on KMC will not help fight the dengue menace. “Citizens need to be responsible,” he remarked.

Commenting on how many people died in the city, he said as per the information available there have been two deaths, of which one person came from outside the state. On the total number of persons affected with dengue fever in Kolkata, he said: “Since January 2023 to present day the number is 2,700.”

Asked if the total number of deaths till September are available, the mayor said that data is with the state Health department since the KMC sends its data to the state.

The KMC Health department officials are of the opinion that the number of dengue cases have increased this year compared to 2022. On the brighter side, malaria cases have supposedly reduced compared to last year (2022). According to KMC Health department data, the number of malaria affected people in 2022 was approximately 7,144 while in 2023 it has come down to 5,076.