The national Capital is reeling under its worst dengue outbreak in the last five years, as the vector-borne disease has claimed 19 lives so far, while over 2,000 people are afflicted with the viral fever. In 2010, at least 1,933 dengue cases with eight deaths were reported during the same period. According to experts, even as the peak dengue season of September end to first week of October is yet to come, the number of dengue cases has already surpassed the figures of 2010.
Delhi had faced a severe dengue outbreak in 1996 when the deadly vector-borne disease claimed more than 400 lives and over 6,000 people were infected by it. A similar trend was seen in 2006 when 3,613 confirmed dengue cases were reported with over 50 deaths.
Taking the death toll further to 19, the dengue claimed the lives of nine -year-old girl Shabina Fatima and a three-year-old girl Neha Mathur. They died of dengue at RMl Hospital and Saket City Hospital respectively. While the deaths were reported on Thursday, Neha died on Wednesday and Shabina on Tuesday.
Concerned about the seriousness of the situation, the Delhi High Court on Thursday asked the Centre and the Delhi Government to explain the steps they have taken to contain the vector-borne disease.
Springing into action, sources said, the Delhi Government is mulling over bringing an Ordinance to punish private hospitals refusing to provide treatment to patients in emergency situations. The Delhi Government also issued notice to commissioners of all three civic bodies directing them to mandatorily apprise it of the steps being taken to prevent the spread of the disease on a daily basis. The Government has also warned them of strict action in case of non-compliance with the order.
Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) announced setting-up of free of cost fever clinics in Delhi to deal with dengue cases. Delhi party convener Dilip Pandey said that many private medical practitioners have voluntarily come forward to treat patients at these clinics.As of now 30 doctors have agreed to volunteer in the initiative.
It’s not just the AAP or the Delhi Government which has woken up only after the outbreak struck the city, reports suggest that even the municipal corporations waited for people to succumb to the
deadly dengue disease before they began anti-dengue
fogging operations. According to sources in the corporations, the three civic bodies began fogging on September 1 this year after as many as 831 dengue cases and two deaths were reported.
What comes as a shock is that the municipal agencies, which are responsible for controlling the vector-borne disease, carry out fumigation only once dengue cases start increasing while the breeding of aedes-aegypti mosquito, the main vector that transmits the viruses that cause dengue, begins with the onset of monsoon.
Taking stock of the situation, Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi assured the city Government of all Central assistance to handle the situation.
Meanwhile, RMl Hospital has admitted over 848 patients till date, out of which 543 are confirmed to be dengue patients. Three deaths have been reported in the hospital so far in what it is said to be the worst outbreak of the vector-borne disease in the national Capital in the past five years.
“This year’s upsurge in dengue cases is likely to cross the figures of 2010 when the city faced the worst outbreak of the vector-borne disease in recent time. That is because the peak time for the vector-borne diseases is yet to come,” said a doctor.
“The worst major outbreak of DHF (Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever) and DSS (Dengue Shock Syndrome) in recent history was in 1996 when about 6,000 dengue cases were reported and over 400 people died. The peak time for dengue started in the last week of August and continued till the first week of October,” said a senior doctor of Hindu Rao Hospital. It means that if trends over history are to be believed, the worst is yet to come and the threat is here to stay for another three weeks.
Another major outbreak was witnessed in 2006 as well when 3,613 confirmed cases of dengue fever were reported and over 50 people died, said the doctor.
The North Delhi Municipal Corporation-run Bara Hindu Rao Hospital is witnessing full capacity these days to accommodate dengue patients. Till date, as many as 1,791 suspected dengue patients have been admitted into in the hospital, of which 387 dengue cases and two deaths have been confirmed.
On Thursday itself, the hospital admitted 107 dengue patients. The hospital is grappling with shortage of beds. To tackle the bed shortage, the hospital authorities have enhanced 75 dedicated beds for the dengue patients.
Apparently, north Delhi is worst-affected area with more number of dengue cases having been reported from areas like Burari, Narela, Kirari and Ghonda. As per the NMC’s data, 776 cases have been reported from north Delhi which is comparatively higher than East and South Municipal Corporations’ areas which stand at 152 and 499 cases respectively.