Dengue in Delhi: Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya stresses active coordination between Centre, states

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said, `On-ground initiatives like hotspot identification, fogging and timely treatment to be carried out. The centre is also sending a team of experts to states with rising Dengue cases.`

New Delhi: Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Monday (November 1) chaired the review meeting on the dengue situation in Delhi, stressing active coordination between the Centre and states.

During the review, the Union Health Minister said, "On-ground initiatives like hotspot identification, fogging and timely treatment to be carried out. The centre is also sending a team of experts to states with rising Dengue cases." 

Mandaviya stressed the need to ramp up testing, and said: "Many poor people are not diagnosed properly and their death goes unreported."

He also directed the Union health secretary to identify and send a team of experts to states with high active dengue cases, while chairing the high-level meeting with the Delhi government to review the public health measures taken for control and management of dengue.

The Union minister tweeted, "Reviewed the dengue situation in Delhi and assured Centre's full support," adding "On-ground initiatives like hotspot identification, fogging and timely treatment will be carried out to curb disease. The Centre is also sending a team of experts to states with rising dengue cases."

Highlighting the urgency of intervention,  the health ministry's statement said that many poor people are affected by dengue and low platelet count weakens patients. 

Citing sources close to the development, an ANI report said that an awareness campaign will be held in schools and speed testing for the vector-borne disease will also be done in Delhi.

"Union Ministry of Health is monitoring dengue cases in Delhi and other states closely. An expert team will do detailed planning with the Delhi Government to monitor the dengue cases, awareness campaigns will also be run in schools. Necessary speed testing will be conducted," sources told ANI.

The Centre has reportedly asked the Delhi government to procure dengue NS1 ELISA testing kits to maximise dengue testing in Delhi. As per sources, 200 homes affected by the dengue outbreak will be identified and teams will be sent. 

As the COVID-19 cases subsided in Delhi, the rising of cases of Dengue has been a headache for the healthcare workers. With the rising number of dengue cases, breaching the 1,000-mark in recent days, the government and the private hospitals across Delhi have ramped up the beds and other medical facilities. 

So far this year, six fatalities have been recorded due to the vector-borne disease, while the number of cases has climbed to over 1,530, according to a civic report released on Monday.

Dengue cases in the national capital have seen an unprecedented spurt with cases crossing a thousand mark in which more than 650 cases are being recorded in the month of October alone. The disease has claimed its first death in the month of September in the national capital where a 35-year-old woman died.

(With Agency Inputs)