The concentration of all activities by the health department in Patharibagh area of the state capital has started proving dangerous as incidences of dengue from the other parts of the city have started cropping up. The Pioneer in its edition of July 22 had warned that concentration of anti dengue drive in a small area of the city could backfire on city dwellers. The health department data reveals that 116 cases of dengue are reported from the Patharibagh area while 20 cases are from other parts of the city. Apart from Patharibagh cases of Dengue are reported from Reetha Mandi, Single Mandi, Vidhya Vihar, Chandra Shekhar Azad Colony, Prakash Nagar and Bhandaribagh area of the city. Apart from them the rapid test positive cases for dengue are being reported from many localities of the city.
It is worth mentioning here that the State health department only counts those samples as dengue cases which are found positive for the Enzyme linked Immunosorbent Assay (ElISA). The laboratories of Himalayan Institute hospital Trust (HIHT) Jollygrant and the associated hospital of Doon Medical College are the only labs authorised by the State health department for testing the samples of suspected patients of Dengue for ElISA.
Meanwhile the concentration of Anti Dengue drive in only Patharibagh and surrounding areas of the city has started creating resentment among the residents of other colonies. A resident of Harrawala claimed that three persons of the locality are suffering from dengue but the health department has not taken any preventive measure in area so far. “It is true that large number of cases of dengue is reported from Patharibagh but to concentrate anti dengue drive in one area is wrong. Now cases from other parts of the city have started cropping up. The department should be in pro active mode in all parts of the city with the onset of monsoon,’’ said Naresh Kumar a resident of Mohini Road.