State presses throttle on anti-dengue drive

Kolkata: With the number of dengue cases going up in the past few weeks, the state health department has emphasised the anti-dengue drive throughout

the state.

The health department has already sanctioned funds for the procurement of larvicides and steps have been taken to ensure the supply of them to the rural areas to check the spread of vector-borne diseases.

Health department in a recent order sanctioned the procurement of larvicide worth nearly Rs 20 crore.

According to data, around 1,328 dengue cases were reported till the last week of June. North 24-Parganas and Malda were among the worst affected districts. City hospitals have started getting dengue cases.

The numbers are still low, but the doctors fear that the number may spike in the days ahead as the monsoon has already hit.

Bengal had witnessed a massive dengue outbreak in 2023, one of the biggest in the state in about a decade. The number of infected patients in 2023 had overtaken 2022’s figure. In 2022, around 900 dengue cases were reported.

The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) and various other civic bodies were learnt to have started door-to-door inspection as part of its anti-dengue drive with the onset of monsoon.