After the All Indian Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) tables report on deadly dengue and chikungunya, the City Government on Thursday requested the Centre to convene a meeting of Health Ministers of neighbouring States to prepare a strategy to deal with dengue and chikungunya “outbreak” as many patients are coming to Delhi due to “lack” of proper healthcare facilities there.
Also, Delhi Health Minister J P Nadda is meeting with Union Health Minister J P Nadda on Friday afternoon to find out ways to tide over the dengue and chikungunya.
Twelve people have so far died due to chikungunya complications out of whom seven were from Uttar Pradesh, including Ghaziabad and Mathura. Dengue has also claimed 18 lives in the national Capital with at least three of the victims being from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
According to AIIMS report, a total of 96 patients were admitted to the hospital, of which 56 have been discharged. Out of the total patients, 70 per cent belonged to Uttar Pradesh, 10 per cent to Bihar and rest to Delhi, it said.
In his letter to Nadda, Delhi Health Minister Jain said the Delhi Government is making efforts to tackle the “outbreak” of dengue and chikungunya.
“However, many of the patients coming to Delhi hospitals are from neighbouring States in the NCR, apparently due to lack of proper healthcare facilities in the said States, thus, creating pressure on the medical infrastructure in Delhi in general and Government hospitals, in particular,” Jain said in the letter.
“It is therefore, requested that a meeting may be convened inviting the Health Ministers of the NCR region to review the state-wise action required to augment the healthcare facilities for effective tackling of the issue,” he said.
Earlier in the day, Jain reiterated that Chikungunya cannot cause deaths, and added that this is a fact that is available on Google, and not his opinion. Talking about the recent casualties, Jain stated that four of the five deaths had been reported from the same hospital, which made the situation quite suspicious. “Chikungunya deaths are not happening across the world. Why is it only in a select few Delhi hospitalsIJ And upon enquiry, I have discovered that most of the deaths are of people who were aged and already sick with other ailments,” the Minister said.