Dengue is continuing to haunt Dehradun as more and more cases of the disease are surfacing here with alarming regularity. With the figure of the afflicted spiralling by days, ten new cases of the vector- borne disease have been reported by the district health authorities on Friday. With them, the number of dengue patients in Dehradun this season has mounted up to 198. In Uttarakhand, the count has gone up to 589.
Speaking of the spread of dengue, the chief medical officer (CMO) Dehradun, Dr S K Gupta said that the health department has set up isolation wards for the patients of the disease. He further said that all the medical practitioners have been directed to report the suspected cases of the disease to the district health department promptly so that the ELISA test –the confirmatory test for the disease- is conducted.
“Though the figures are going up things are not that alarming. Instead of getting panicky, the people should take the precautions to keep the disease at bay. They must see to it that the breeding grounds inside and in the vicinity of their houses are destroyed.
Besides, they must wear full -sleeved clothes during the day time to reduce exposure for the mosquito bite. We are alert and prepared too. But the people’s cooperation is needed in combating the disease. We are at the same time launching awareness campaign,” Dr Gupta said.
Though the state health officers are putting on a brave face while dengue is steadily spreading its wings, exuding combative confidence, they are in private impatiently waiting for the mercury to dip substantially which would help contain the spread of the disease, say the observers. The people living in the city say that despite dengue biting into Dehradun every year, the health department tends to spring up to its feet after the disease surfaces.