12,000 Delhi premises conducive for mosquito breeding: Walia

New Delhi: A total of 12,000 premises in the capital were found to be conducive for mosquitoes` breeding from February to June this year, said Delhi Health Minister A.K Walia as he directed civic agencies to intensify efforts to fight dengue.

"As per the field checks conducted by domestic breeders, mosquito breeding has been found in more than 12,000 premises till date as compared to 7,653 premises found last year during the corresponding period," said Walia in a press statement after a review meeting. "In the wake of sharp increase in mosquito breeding in a number of localities in Delhi, the health minister directed civic agencies to gear up to fight dengue," said a government official. "Public health officials of all the local bodies and senior officials of the Directorate of Health Services, Delhi and Directorate of National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme, the National Institute of Communicable Diseases, and the National Institute of Malaria were present in the meeting chaired by Walia. Walia directed the medical superintendents of hospitals to ensure timely diagnosis and treatment of dengue. He also said that they must ensure there is sufficient arrangement for platelets as the test kits have already been made available to various hospitals by the National Institute of Virology, Pune. He said that domestic breeders should not only visit the premises but also physically check air coolers and other potential places of breeding. IANS