New Delhi, Oct 01: With scores of dengue cases
being reported in the national capital and Uttar Pradesh,
authorities have stepped up efforts to contain the outbreak
that has claimed at least 13 lives.
Eleven people, including a student of the prestigious
AIIMS, have died of dengue in Delhi while two deaths were
reported from Uttar Pradesh.
A total of 448 cases were reported in the national
capital, which saw 121 fresh cases in the past week alone.
This marked a sharp increase over the 160 cases reported last
year. Uttar Pradesh reported 40 cases of suspected dengue in
the past month.
Authorities in Delhi deployed 2,400 additional
personnel for fumigation and fogging drives and the city
Government said it might declare the outbreak as an epidemic.
"We will declare it an epidemic if the situation is
not brought under control by Tuesday," Delhi Health Minister
Yoganand Shastri said after a meeting chaired by Lt governor B
L Joshi to review the situation.
In Uttar Pradesh, chief medical officers in districts
were directed to undertake fogging and sprinkling of
insecticides. Officials were asked to collect information on
dengue patients across the state and to take prompt action to
control the situation.
Thirty-five people, including 18 medicos and students,
are being treated at AIIMS. Hospitals in Delhi are making
available blood and platelets to treat those affected by
dengue, officials said.
Civic authorities have stepped up sanitation drives
across Delhi, especially in hospitals, community centres and
public places to kill mosquitoes.
The Delhi Government has formed a special task force
to help the Municipal Corporation of Delhi in the drive
against stagnant water and to educate people on preventive
measures for dengue.
Several dengue cases were also reported from private
hospitals in Noida adjoining the national capital. The metro
multi specialty hospital reported 10 suspected dengue cases
today, while Max Hospital and Fortis Hospital too reported
suspected cases.
The dengue virus is spread by the female Aedes
mosquito that breeds in clean stagnant water. Experts said the
disease could spread further in the next two months because
the current weather conditions help the breeding of the Aedes
mosquito.
Officials said the people should be on alert in
October and November as they are the "most dangerous months
for the breeding of mosquitoes".
Dengue: MCD issues notices to eight hospitals
The Municipal Corporation of
Delhi (MCD) on Sunday booked eight city hospitals for not
maintaining cleanliness in the midst of a dengue outbreak in
the capital that has claimed 11 lives.
Eight hospitals, including private and government
hospitals, were issued chalans today as they have not taken
enough measures to keep their immediate environment clean,
municipal health officer N K Yadav said. The MCD has
earlier issued notices to nine hospitals.
"We have also started random checks of homes, offices and
places where there could be stagnant water breeding
mosquitoes. We are spraying anti-mosquito drugs," municipal
health officer N K Yadav said.
The civic body stepped up its sanitation drive especially
in hospitals and will be deploying an additional 2,400
personnel to carry out fumigation and fogging drives on a war
footing.
"Since October and November are most dangerous months for
breeding of mosquitoes, we have appealed to citizens to be on
alert," Yadav said.
The authorities have also issued a "verbal order" to
employees of all MCD departments to report for work tomorrow,
even though it is a public holiday due to Gandhi Jayanti.
"In view of the serious situation, we have asked our
employees to be present at work and no one is going to get
leave," MCD house leader Jitender Kochar said.
Meanwhile, director general health services R K
Srivastava has called a meeting on October 3 with MCD and NDMC
to assess the situation arising from the outbreak
Bureau Report
